Devil May Cry: EOD Syndrome
by Taijo-Kun
Summary: The events of this story take place between Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 4. A new Demon Emperor threatens mankind with a demonic invasion of the Human Realm, promising to make Earth and the Devil Kingdom united by war. It's up to Dante to stop him!
1. Enter Dante

Dante sat back at his desk inside of his shop. There hadn't been any customers in a few days. After all he'd been through, he was sure that he should be getting at least a few job offers a day. He snorted, reaching out and snagging a piece of pizza from the nearby box on the desk. He took a bite and looked around the place. It was dimly lit, with only sunlight filtering through the windows and lighting the place up. A couple ceiling fans circled lazily overhead, creaking as they did so. A dusty old jukebox sat in the corner next to a couple of trash cans and a drum set. A faint buzzing was heard from the neon lighting of the sign on top of the place outside. The words "Devil May Cry" were emblazoned in crimson on a neon sign that lit the area. It was usually what caught people's eyes first. The place had been his home for quite some time now. He closed his eyes and smirked. "Wonder what's goin' on around here these days...if I didn't know any better, I would think somethin's up." He got up, crossing the room and pressing a button on the jukebox. His smirk broadened as a metal song came on. He flopped down on the couch on the side of the room opposite the jukebox, picking up a gun magazine and reading it while he ate the last slice of the pizza.

Somewhere in the city, Anshinritsumei smiled as she ran down the street with her hand clapped around her brother's gloved hand. She stopped at a window and peered inside with wide eyes. Her little pink hat was secure on her head hiding her demon horns like it was just in the hat. Her short silver hair was fluttering about and looking cute as ever. The little girl had red cheeks and a red nose as she put her cold hands up to the store window, staring in at a snow globe. "Brother! That's the one I told you about!" She told him jumping up and down, her little skirt flopped about and her brother's hand landed on her shoulder.

"Calm down, Anshin," John told her, putting his hands on her shoulders and forcing her down on the ground. The little girl looked up at him with wide eyes. She was in a little brown coat with a tan finish and a thick suit. She always wore her coat and hat, it was just who she was and as she looked up at her brother, her virus of a smile began to infect him. John smiled and picked up Anshin, putting her on his hip. "Let's head home, there's no reason to stay here."

Anshin shook her head. She thought there was plenty of reason to stay, although her smile didn't fade quickly. As the store faded, so did her smile. John hadn't even looked at the little globe she wanted to buy him. He didn't let her have the money, after all, so anything she wanted to get for him came out of his pocket, so to speak. Anshin had made money, lots of it. She had written a book and published it under a fake name so that no one knew it had been her. Her fake name was Antina, and it was a book about her world.

Back by Devil May Cry, Hiro Oboro sheathed his sword as four small demons began to fade into oblivion. He was a Devil Hunter as well, strange in appearance, like most who shared the profession. Shaggy, dark black hair hung just above his eyes in a bowl-like cut. His orange eyes peered at the shop as he brought his azure blue duster around him again. A katana rested at his side, a blood red sheathe with gold fittings housing the weapon. He was of average height, like most, and his hands were covered by dark gauntlets which ended so that his fingers were exposed. He looked around the street, glad to have escaped a strange woman who had run off moments before. "She almost saw me," he said with a light sigh at the end of the sentence. He looked across the street. "That's funny, I was planning on visiting Dante today, and the demons appeared right next to his shop." He chuckled and walked across the threshold, knocking on the door. "Dante, are you there?"

Dante set his feet on the floor, as they had been reclining up on the arm of the couch. The light filtering through the windows was cut off for a moment, and a knock was heard at the door. He heard Hiro's voice, but his words were muffled by the heavy door. Dante smirked and crossed the room, reaching the door after a few long strides, the tails of his coat fluttering a bit as he walked. He opened the door to see his friend Hiro, and his smirk widened. "Oi. What are you doin' here? Come to lose at pool again?" He jerked his head toward the back corner of the room where a pool table sat, racked up and ready to play. "You've already lost too much money on pool here. What's up?" He noticed the smell of blood and gunshot residue on his friend. "What happened, didja run into trouble on the way over here?" He shrugged, deciding it would be best to let his friend inside instead of leaving him out in the night air. He stepped to the side of the doorway, leaving room for his friend to enter his shop. He smirked again as he crossed the room, going behind his desk and sitting back in the chair. He leaned back, propping his boots up on the desk, peering at Hiro through his snow-white bangs. "So, why _are_ you here? Money troubles? Your tabs at the bars around here are running high, I've been told. If that's the case, you came to the wrong place...I've got my own debts."

Hiro shook his fairly long hair and a little bit of blood came off of the tips of his bangs. "Hardly, Dante. I know I don't have a hand when it comes to pool, but PT-Class demons don't need such things to live." He went over and kicked up a knocked over chair, and, with a strange move, balanced it on his elbow by a leg. He flipped it again and it landed perfectly in place and he sat. "And I'd hardly call it trouble. Just keeping the balance. I've come for two reasons... one is to visit a good friend. And two, I need some special information on a woman who calls herself 'Nightrose.' Know anything?"

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	2. The Hunt

Dante raised an eyebrow from where he sat behind his desk, the name sounding both familiar and unfamiliar. "Nightrose?" He repeated the name, hoping for some odd reason that by saying it, he could discern some meaning from it. Finding none, he shook his head, shrugging. He stood up, grabbing his gigantic sword, Rebellion, from behind the desk and strapping it onto his back. He looked at Hiro with a smirk. "Sorry, Hiro. I've got an assignment to go out on. It would seem there's been a tiger demon out about the city, searching for something. I've been hired to kill him. So I'll see you later. Just wait for me here, eh?" He walked over to the jukebox again, pressing a different button, flooding the room with a new metal song. He left through the heavy door, walking down the streets at a brisk pace, relishing the full moon outside. The man's features stood out during the night outside, more than they had in the shop. His white hair gleamed in the moonlight, casting a glow around him. His ice-blue eyes looked this way and that, looking for anything that would give him a hint as to where to go. The breeze whistled through the streets, blowing his long, red coat back, the tail fluttering slightly. The coat would surely bring them in. A red vest with black buckles rested underneath the coat, and a long-sleeved black shirt rested underneath that. Short black gloves covered his hands, and black boots rested at the bottom of red pants with two black straps on his right thigh. He was sure to draw the attention he needed with all of this.

Sure enough, after a few moments of walking, a presence was felt and a shadow appeared from beside a street lamp. Eight red eyes stared at him, slowly emerging to reveal the head of a gigantic spider. Dante smirked. "Let me guess...there weren't any flies around, so you decided to go after people? Too bad...looks like I'm outta Raid, so that means I'll have to kill you the old fashioned way."

The spider looked at him, the eight eyes unblinking. It began to laugh. Its fangs moved around carelessly as it spoke, spewing venom and other noxious liquids. "So you are the legendary son of Sparda, Dante? Pathetic. I'll kill you now, and avenge Mundus!" It swung its front legs dangerously, barely missing Dante, who leaped into the air, pulling Rebellion out, the blade glinting in the moonlight. He brought the blade around, slashing off one of the devil's legs, sending it to the side. The spider howled in pain and Dante laughed as he drove Rebellion's point into its central eye. He nodded, leaping off of the corpse.

Dante circled the corpse a couple of times before speaking. It was still alive, but barely. He needed information on two subjects: his prey and this Nightrose woman. He would go with the more pressing matter first. "What do you know about a tiger demon in this area? And a woman that calls herself 'Nightrose'?"

The demon shuddered, speaking as a mixture of acidic blood and venom poured from its craw. "The demon you seek is called John. He lives in a house not too far from here. The woman you seek is a Devil Hunter like yourself. She uses a sword that is also a whip. This is all I know." And with a piercing scream, the demon shuddered again and died, corroding with its own venom before leaving behind a wooden frame laced with strings. Dante smirked, putting Rebellion back on his back. "Demon Marionette." He continued toward the house the thing had spoken of.

Meanwhile, back in another part of the city, Anshin sighed as she pulled open the door, stepping down a stair and running into the house. She flopped down on the floor and pulled off her shoes, setting them aside. She yawned and ran to the door, her cold feet shivering as the winter air licked at them. "Hurry up, brother!" she called happily as he came in with two bags of groceries.

John looked up, his own hat tucked on tight, hiding his horns and his scraggly brown hair. He laughed and nodded. "I'm coming! I'm coming! Go into the kitchen and get the oven started," he called out to his sister. In the bags were a bunch of things to make a cake. The siblings had decided to make a cake for the children in the orphanage not too far down the road. Anshin normally would go visit them and play with them, but this time she wanted to bring them something special.

Anshin turned around and ran back into the house, leaving the door to the cold winter and the kitchen both wide open. She grabbed a chair and pulled it over, standing on it to get to the stove dials. She turned on the oven and began to preheat it to three hundred-forty degrees, warming up the small two-story brick house in the dark night. The house was a stone building with a hallway reaching back to the back exit and a back alley with stairs filling some of the small room. There were six rooms in all, two on the bottom level, the doors to those rooms right near the front door before the stairs, and four upstairs. One of those rooms was a bathroom and then there were two bedrooms and a study across from the bathroom. The master bedroom was connected to the bathroom which was actually a pretty shabby thing, but the other bedroom was connected to the study and favored by both Anshin and her brother, John.

John came into the kitchen and scooped her off the chair, having set the bags down on the kitchen table, and spun her around. Anshin laughed and smiled as she was set down on the chair again. She turned around and wrapped her arms around her brother's chest looking up at him with large childish eyes. "Thank you so much for everything, John..." she whispered to him with sisterly love in her eyes.

John smiled and took off her hat rubbing her head and messing up her grayish hair. She had two capricorn style horns where her ears should be that were pulled back and looked like they were unicorn horns almost. He didn't touch them, just pet his sister's hair.

"You're welcome, Anshin." With that, the two siblings began to make a double-decker cake. They used a really large bowl and a large pan so the kids could all have a good sized piece and began mixing everything together. They used twice as much as they should have for a normal cake and were going to rely on their noses to tell when it was done. It took them about half an hour to finish mixing and adding everything. Anshin was wiped out, laying on her brother's chest half asleep on the couch, her hat back on. John had an arm around her and was smiling lightly at the thought of the delighted children. He couldn't help but hope that it turned out alright. His thoughts weren't even on the fact that somewhere out there, there was a spider demon lying about who he was for revenge on his little sister.

Dante stopped in front of a house, red and small, made of brick. He smirked, nodding. "This must be the place." He walked up to the door, finding it unlocked. He opened it quietly, stepping inside. Rebellion was housed on his back in a guitar case made of black leather. He called out to the residents of the house. "Oi, is there a John here? If so, I would like to speak with you privately outside." He nodded to himself, satisfied with his lure that he had set. He stepped outside, shutting the door. He walked a short way, standing on the sidewalk, watching the house. There were only a few street lamps, the dull light casting a dim glow over the area. His blue eyes reflected only some of the light, but his hair was casting the same glow from the moonlight. He waited patiently for his prey.

John blinked when he felt someone come and waited, staying still and silent until the man left. He then kissed the top of his sister's head and patted her butt, sending her upstairs. "Don't come out," he told her quickly before heading to the door. He opened it up and looked out, standing in the door way and looking out to see who it was.

Anshin didn't run and hide like she was told. Instead, she went to the upstairs window. She peeked out through the fog, her eyes adjusting so they could see through it, the small orbs landing on Dante. Her eyes widened and she let out a small gasp of fear. Her brother was going to get killed. She didn't want her brother killed, but she recognized that man as a demon killer. Tears filled her eyes as she thought about what might happen to her brother and she continued to watch, apprehensive and sad. She wouldn't be able to stand it if her brother died.

Dante stepped forward, looking John up and down. "Why don't you come out of that form and make yourself more comfy? I'm sure you must be cramped in there." He motioned for John to step forward.

John stepped forward, his body rending itself to shreds. Ripping sounds sounded grotesquely in the night, the shreds falling to the snow-covered ground. A brownish, furry form met Dante's blue eyes, standing awkwardly on two back legs that had spiky hooves on the ends of them. Red eyes met his own blue ones, and huge, blade-like horns shot from the sides of the demon's head. Its front legs became like arms, with hoof-like claws on them.

Dante cocked his head to the side. "My, my. Aren't we a fearsome one?" He brought the guitar case from off of his back and set it on the ground with a metallic clank. He unzipped it, revealing Rebellion and pulling it out with one hand, pointing it at the demon in front of him. "Let's get started, shall we?"

John bolted forward with surprising speed, and left Dante no choice but to doge roll out of the way, then leap into the air as the beast returned around to trample him. He pulled Ebony and Ivory out, firing round after round at the thing, only to have the bullets hit at the thing's heels as it ran. Dante cursed, landing on the ground, looking for the devil. He was sent reeling forward as the ram collided with his back, making a sickening thud. He regained his feet, squeezing off two rounds that met the beast's shoulder, causing it to cry out in pain. He smirked, continuing his evasive maneuvers.

John looked around, watching Dante, his movements erratic and almost unpredictable. He would appear to be in one place, then appear in another. It baffled him as he waited for the assailant to land. When he did so, he sent another charge, only to be tricked as Dante rolled to the side, slashing his left hind leg. A spurt of blood appeared on the ground next to him, a steady flow coming from the wound on his leg.

Dante smirked, looking at the ram and readying a final blow. He was interrupted, however, by the sensation of being stabbed. His left arm had been caught during his last evade attempt and now rested on the thing's horn. He gritted his teeth, pulling the arm off, bringing Rebellion around and using the side to paddle the ram to the ground. He readied his last strike, and drove the point through the demon's chest as he gained his feet again. A howling death scream filled the night air as a huge spurt of blood launched from the wound.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	3. Nightrose

Anshin screamed as she saw her brother get run through. She ran down the stairs and stopped at the bottom, tears the size of golf balls running down her face in bucket loads. She couldn't help but cry as she saw her brother get slaughtered before her eyes. She ran forward and pulled him away from the sword and up onto her lap. She looked up at the man with teary eyes, not hearing the sound of a smoke detector behind her.

Anshin's little gray eyes stared up at Dante with pain and sadness, she had her catlike hat on and her coat over her body, hiding herself. She was sobbing fully now as her brother lay in her lap, and the house began to burn behind her. Something had caught fire in the stove. Anshin buried her head in her brother's neck, "He never did anything! He was just here to protect me! I can't believe you! He never did ANYTHING BAD! We're good! I swear it! We're good, we've not killed anyone! We're Capricorns, we don't like blood! Oh, John! Why did you have to fight him? Why did you have to defend me?" she sobbed loudly.

Her brother's body burned up in her arms and she curled to herself, his blood staining her clothes even after his death. The little girl sobbed on the sidewalk leading up to her house, the fire echoing behind her, cracking at the house and she looked up at it. Her head then turned to Dante, pain and sorrow filling her eyes, "Why?"

Dante remained calm during the girl's fit of sadness and grief. He calmly placed Rebellion back in the guitar case, which he shrugged back on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, little girl, but even if your brother was the wrong demon, he attacked me, and his death was justified. I gotta go now. I have an engagement elsewhere." He got a good look at the girl for the first time. She was a small, pale little girl. She had bright, exuberant eyes that could hold a lifetime's worth of emotion. Her features were darkened by the pain and sadness of recent events. She had small, flushed cheeks. This could have been caused by many things, especially the cold. Her clothing wasn't as colorful as the average child's would be, so he didn't pay much attention. He holstered Ebony and Ivory, turning his back on the girl and the now flaming house. The sound of crackling flames and sobs permeated the air, casting an eerie glow in the moonlight.

Anshin got up and ran after him, grabbing his arm and walking with him. She dropped her head and just followed him with her hand clutching his sleeve. She wouldn't leave him to kill others senselessly and she had nowhere to go. She would stay with him as payback for killing her brother so senselessly. "He was protecting me. You threatened me and he attacked," the small girl mumbled as she walked alongside the demon slayer.

Dante felt the slight tug on his sleeve, and allowed it to go on. He had no problem with the girl tailing him. He would give the girl a place to stay, as compensation for her loss, no matter how justified it had been. He continued on his way, heading to a bar on the outer part of downtown, the Bull's Eye Bar. He had a running tab there, and it seemed that he would have to run it up some more for the moment, since he wouldn't be getting paid for slaying the wrong demon. He continued through the cold night, his breath making puffs of white fog as he drudged through the snow on the ground that matched the white hair on his head. He neared the bar, the neon sign casting a glow upon the green dumpsters outside of it. He passed them with the girl in tow and went inside.

Inside, he saw a scene that was so familiar to him, he couldn't help but have his trademark smirk return to his lips. He noticed only a few people there, one of whom interested him deeply. He sat down at the bar, having the small child with him sit on the barstool next to him. The bartender approached, cleaning a small glass with a used-looking rag. Dante nodded to him. "Two strawberry sundaes." The bartender nodded, hurrying to get the order ready. Dante got up, walking over to the jukebox, his boots pounding over the hardwood floor. He slipped a quarter into it, and pressed a button, letting another metal song filter through the speakers and into the bar. He returned to his stool in time to get the two sundaes and passed one down to the girl. "Eat," he said coarsely as he dug a spoon into his own sundae.

The little Capricorn pulled the ice cream close and picked up the spoon, playing with it for a little while before pulling a spoonful out. She opened her little mouth wide and put the ice cream in, chomping down on the spoon and denting it, though not on purpose. She sucked on the ice cream and eventually swallowed it before taking another spoonful. The girl was eating slowly, thinking about all of the time she had with her brother. She didn't even realize that she was a little girl with blood on her sitting in a bar with a killer who liked rock music. She just realized she was a little girl in a bar eating a sundae.

Through the rising haze in her mind, the strange woman sitting in the dark corner of the bar noticed her long sword, now propped against the wall next to her chair, was buzzing strongly. While taking a sip of her martini she glanced lazily around the room, her eyes landing on Dante. _That aura from before and... what was that description that my informant gave me?_ She pulled out a well-worn notepad from her jacket and laid it on the table. She licked her gloved fingertips, looking through it. _'Short silver hair, red leather coat, and piercing blue eyes.' Yes, that's definitely him._

Sneaking a peek at the man at the bar, her eyes narrowed. Her gaze wandered to the small girl next to him, the child was obviously upset. Tears stained her face. Something seemed off about the girl, and she was more than curious to find out what it was. She was assuming that Dante had something to do with it. The man did have a knack for causing trouble, after all. Standing, she attached her sword to her waist and walked over to sit next to the girl. "Hello there, little miss! Is something wrong? Is this big bad guy beating up on you?"

Anshin looked up from her ice cream only long enough to look up at the woman who was speaking to her. She looked at her face, then went right back to her ice cream. Dante laughed. "It would seem she's a bit shy right now." He went back to his ice cream as well, the guitar case housing his sword not feeling the least bit heavy. His arm had knitted itself as he walked, the cold air doing it good and keeping it clean. Demonic blood was a marvelous thing, granting great healing abilities to whoever had it. Dante finished his sundae and the bartender came over, wanting his payment. "Sorry, don't have the money right now, but once I get decent pay, you'll have the debt payed off."

The bartender gave him a reproachful stare. "Hey, Dante...this won't do every time you step into my bar. You either shoot the place up, or you buy things you don't have the money for! Sooner or later, I'm cutting you off." The bartender sighed, setting down the glass and whispering in Dante's ear. "That woman you were just talking to...don't cross her. That there's Nightrose. She kills demons just like you. But I doubt she likes half-breeds, either. Watch your step around her."

Dante merely waved him off. He knew he had bad luck with women, but he doubted his luck was that bad. If he could survive Lady and Trish, nothing could kill him. He looked at the woman, taking in her features. She certainly had no reservations when it came to clothing, although none of the women Dante had dealt with in the past were any different. White leather overlaid with orange accents covered her rather curvy body, mid-back length orange hair dangling over the back of the coat. She stood on white heels which made her seem at least four inches taller. The sword at her hip buzzed softly, but Dante ignored it for the moment. She was beautiful, for sure, but this didn't really concern him.

Picking up her items, Nightrose walked back to the bar, flashing a warm smile to the child. Pulling herself up at the bar next to the girl, she leaned over, towards the barkeeper, smiling pleasantly. "Half-breed, old man? You forget I read lips." She looked to Dante, chuckling and crossing her legs again, her white leather chaps squeaking softly. "He exaggerates, I assure you. I'm no threat to you, we're both in the same line of work. Well, unless you misbehave, then I might have to punish you!" With a girlish giggle, she took a bite of the cake she had brought over with her.

She held out a hand, winking. "As the old man said, I'm Nightrose, Devil Hunter. And from your description you can only be Dante, am I correct?"

Starting slowly, in a more serious tone, she gazed at Dante, golden, red-flecked eyes peering into icy blue. "Since you seem to be in the know... may I ask you about the EOD Syndrome?"

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	4. Surprise Guest

The question took Dante by surprise, seeing that the EOD Syndrome was nothing more than a myth invented by devils. He nodded. "You got me. I'm Dante, owner and employee of Devil May Cry." He closed his eyes, his smirk returning only for a moment as he opened them again and looked at the girl. She seemed to be too fixed upon her thoughts. He looked back at Nightrose. "The EOD Syndrome, you say? It's only a myth. A myth spread by demons throughout this realm. I've read about it myself a few times...let's see what I can remember. It's a virus that has its origins in Hell. The virus infects only humans, and causes them to become fleshy puppets, controlled by devils. The humans do the devil's bidding, whether it be murder or opening the portal for more devils. When the human is of no use anymore, the devil simply discards it and finds another. The EOD Syndrome, also known as the End of Days Syndrome, is fast becoming more than just a legend. More and more operatives in our line of work are seeing its symptoms, and are in the end killed by it themselves. I'm starting to think this all a part of a bigger plot against us." He finished, leaning forward on the counter, contemplating all of this.

Nightrose nodded slowly, taking in all the information. Breaking free from her thoughts, she looked Dante up and down, seeing that to her, the man didn't look like much. But through his veins ran devil blood of the purest quality. "I'm guessing there's no known way of protecting against it, is there?" With a sigh, she leaned back, running a hand through her bright orange hair. The tips, which Dante saw now were purple, curled elegantly against her back and chest.

"And as far as I've heard, no one knows who's causing it, yet." She looked back at Dante, smiling sweetly. "So, what about the kid? She's so cute. Is she yours?" she asked, tilting her head innocently at the tall man.

Dante snorted, his smirk turning to a wry grin. He responded bluntly, not caring what the woman thought of him. "She's a demon. I killed her brother by mistake. A Demon Marionette gave me the wrong location of my mark." He finished, ordering another strawberry sundae. He waited for a few moments, then received his sundae with a smirk. He began to eat, wondering what Hiro was doing to his shop while he was here. He looked at the girl, seeing that she had finished her sundae. He called the bartender over and ordered another one for her, receiving it a few moments later. He slid it down the top of the bar and she began eating slowly again, savoring the taste of the strawberries.

Anshin felt her tears coming back up again, her throat clogged as she sucked on her spoon of ice cream and she began to cry again. She put the spoon back in the ice cream and pushed it away, dropping her head on the bar as she began to cry. Her hat was still snug on her head making it look like she had pokes of kitten ears instead of Capricorn horns. "John didn't do anything wrong! I'm the reason he was here and... and... and you killed him after challenging him to a duel!" the little girl whined into her arms. Her little coat was still splattered with his blood. Her arms had red stains scattered over them that were now getting drudged up by her tears. "You killed him and burned down my house!" she sobbed louder.

She began to think of the orphanage and wondered dismally where she was going to go, what she was going to do, or even if this new girl would kill her. The little grayish silver haired girl was sobbing hysterically now, she didn't know what she was going to do for food. She was also very depressed about the fact that the cake she was baking for the orphans was now ruined. That got her into crying harder and she looked at him. "We were baking a cake!" she complained outright.

Dante rolled his eyes during the little girl's fit. He nodded to the bartender. "You'll have the money at the end of the month." He grabbed the small girl's hand, leaving his stool and dragging her off of hers. He left the bar just as one of his favorite songs was going off. He walked down the sidewalks at a quick pace, ready to get out of the chilled, snowy air. The white flakes that were falling fell into his hair, not showing at all since his hair shared the same color as the flakes themselves. He continued walking, not looking anywhere but ahead and not sparing a glance even for the small child he dragged along. His boots thudded over the hardened layers of snow, not crunching as it would with a thin layer. He finally reached the shop, the neon sign buzzing faintly as it cast its crimson glow over the white ground. He walked through the heavy door, letting go of the girl's hand as he shrugged off the guitar case and set it against the wall. He didn't even notice the familiar blonde woman sitting at his desk. He walked over to the jukebox, hitting the button of a different song. The music blared as he heaved a sigh, ready to relax.

Hiro looked at Dante. "You have two guests and you don't even say hello? Jeez, you'd think Eva would have taught you better manners." He then looked at the blonde woman. "I'm assuming your Trish, then? My name is Hiro. A pleasure to meet you." He gave a slight bow.

Anshin came away from the door first thing, but she didn't approach any of the weird people already there. She felt crowded and threatened by all of the new faces, and new places. She went over to the corner of the area and sat down, curling up and rubbing her bare feet. She hadn't thought to grab shoes when she left her house to run to her brother and she was regretting it now, her human toes feeling like they were going to break off from the ice and her ankles not wanting to support her weight at all. She rubbed her feet and looked over at the woman sitting on the desk. What was going on here? Was this man a player or just a killer? He surely had a lot more friends then she thought he would, all of them seemed to just surround him.

Dante's eyes gave Hiro a reproachful glare. "Don't speak about my mother, Hiro. She's off-limits, got it?" He looked at the small girl. "There are blankets around here somewhere. Go warm up." He turned from the jukebox, noticing Trish. "My, my, isn't this a nice surprise? When did you get back into town?" The last time he had seen Trish was when she had returned to the city after a brief absence. Lady, another devil-hunting acquaintance of his, had been hanging around and mistook Trish for a demon and had tried to terminate her. Dante, in the end, had had to step in and make introductions. At first, the women hadn't gotten along, but now they got along fine, much to his distaste. He approached the desk, leaning forward with his gloved hands on the surface. He cocked his head to the side. "My, aren't we looking lovely this evening...just get done with a date?" He smirked, going over and flopping down on the couch again. He kicked up his boots, resting them on the arm of the couch opposite his head. He closed his eyes, the heat in the room helping cool the bitter chill that had resided upon his skin. Small droplets of water fell from his snow-white locks, remnants of the snowflakes that had fallen into them. He gave a sigh of contentment, glad to be home.

Nightrose wandered down the streets of the city, flustered at being left so hastily. She stopped in front of Devil May Cry, sighing. _How could he leave without saying anything? Bah._ She walked in, and seeing the large selection of people inside, she laughed nervously, "I'm not crashing a party, am I? S-sorry, I'll be out in a moment...I just wanted to..."

She looked over at the small girl, sympathy in her eyes. She placed her cake next to the little girl, kneeling in front of her. "I'm sorry, this cake probably isn't as special as the one you and your brother were making, but please have it. My address is in there, as well. If you need anything, or get sick of that silly Dante, come over to my place." She placed a hand on the girl's head, smiling at her, "Or you could come with me now, if you like."

Anshin nodded and picked up the cake, "Please... let's get out of here..." the little Capricorn said quietly. Her feet were still a bit sore from how cold it was on them, but she was used to hooves, and hooves didn't really feel any more than nails or teeth did. She picked up the little cake and grabbed onto Nightrose's cuff. She would rather be with her than Dante at the moment, not only was he a player, but an extremely bad one that ruined her gift to the orphanage. "We were going to give the cake to the orphanage... but thank you for the thought," Anshin told the woman, holding the cake. She looked down at it and thought about all of the orphans that would never be able to enjoy something so simple unless it was a special occasion or they were adopted. She remembered what it was like in the orphanages, lonely, and hungry. You were only fed just enough to eat because the orphanage didn't have enough money to go around. That was just how it was: eat what you can get, and steal what you can't. Anshin looked up at Nightrose, hoping that where they were going wouldn't cross the path of her last home.

She led the girl out, looking over her shoulder at Dante, smiling angelically, "Remember what I said, Dante! Behave!" She twined her fingers with the girl's and led her out. "We can bake a cake for the orphanage tomorrow, if that would make you feel better. What is your name? Mine is Nightrose, but you can call me Rosy if you like."

"My name in Anshinritsumei Dwin'ghymn," Anshin told Rosy after she had been quiet, having taken her hand. Anshin looked back at Devil May Cry for a moment before gazing ahead at where they were going. Things would be new for her now, she knew it. She would have to actually fight back against the demons that opposed her peace, her wonderful serenity that she had held for four hundred years. Anshin sighed and dropped her head, wondering how much like a baby this woman would treat her.

Nightrose led the girl farther away from Devil May Cry, out of the slummier areas of the city and into the nicer parts. Eventually they arrived at a large brick building, old by the look of it, but classy. Leading the way in and up the old-style cage elevator, she stopped at the top floor, taking them to her large corner apartment. Unlocking the door, she ushered the girl in. The main room had an entertainment area, fluffy couches and chairs with a kitchen in the corner. Off to the sides were hallways leading off to bedrooms and bathrooms. The whole apartment was decked out stylishly in cream, burgundy, and sage green.

She walked to a room with a large fluffy bed connected to a bathroom. "You can use this room, there's a nice big bath tub in the bathroom if you want to take a bath. Welcome to your new home. Well, it's home as long as you want it to be. If you need anything, my bedroom is just down the hallway." She walked out, leaving the girl with her thoughts. She walked to the kitchen to make some food.

Anshin shut the door, finding it had a lock. She didn't lock the door though, just shut it, and set the cake down on a table by the door. She pulled off her hat, revealing her curly horns and her grayish green eyes began to tear up again. The girl slowly unbuttoned her coat, pulling it off and laying it to the side on a chair with her hat. This revealed layer after layer of gentle padding until finally, it revealed a very girly little form. Anshin only looked like a child from beneath her cloaks, but after she took off her last layer, she stood alone, in a white tank top with shorts on. The girl had black hands and feet compared to the rest of her body. She went to her bed and crawled under her covers, pulling a pillow close and crying.

Back at Devil May Cry, Trish watched, slightly amused still, as Dante came in and went about his business. Her attentions were caught by the little girl that had left. When Dante had finally noticed her, she turned her attention back to him with a charming smile. "Me? Oh, just a little while ago. I've been looking for you." Her voice was warm with familiarity and she chuckled a little at his comment about the way she looked. "I was dressing up just for you, Dante. Who else would I be dressing up for?" The blonde woman's smile turned to a bit of a grin as she tossed him a wink. "Anyway." Trish swung her legs down from the desk where they had been resting and set her heels on the floor, standing up and tossing an envelope over to Dante. "I did come here to see you for a reason." She nodded to the envelope, her face now serious. "I've just recently gotten this, thought you might want to take a look at it."

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	5. Another Assignment

Dante raised an eyebrow at the envelope and picked it up, looking at the flowery handwriting. The client had to have some money, for sure. His thoughts drifted briefly to the little girl. Although it was definitely for the best, he couldn't help but feel like he should have taken the girl in. He shrugged it off, his countenance returning as he opened the letter. He read it in his mind, mulling over each word carefully.

_Dear Mr. Dante,  
This mission is for you and you alone. There have been numerous reports of murders in the downtown area of the city, reportedly the work of devils. The one witness who was able to stay alive reported seeing a gigantic spider, one with eight red eyes and fur as dark as Hell covering its body. It goes by the name Salem, and has been searching for you for a long time. Although, there is another target it has been going after: a small child, a girl, by the name of Anshinritsume Dwin'ghymn. Please give this your utmost attention and start on it at your earliest convenience. This job will pay substantially for proper completion._

Dante finished reading the note, hearing a knock at the door. He looked over his shoulder. "Come in," he called out. He turned back to the letter and mulled over when he should start on it. He decided to get started the next day, being exhausted from the night's activities. He didn't feel like leaving the shop just yet. He also had to entertain some guests. He also decided to take a team over there, not just do it himself. He usually worked alone, but would tell the team to let him handle Salem, since it was a personal grudge.

Trish watched as Dante read the letter. She quirked her eyebrow slightly, still curious about the little girl and what she was doing with Dante. Her icy eyes fixed to him as he looked up from the message and she leaned over the edge of the couch, her long blond hair slipping over her shoulder as she looked down at the man. "So who was the kid? Some relation to you?" At that, she grinned cattishly, a bit of an impish look entering her eyes. The two things didn't disappear completely with her next statement, but they certainly weren't prominent. "Or did you kill the poor thing's family?" The latter was more believable, but she couldn't pass up the chance to tease Dante a little when the opportunity arose. He was spared a few more statements as there was another knock on the door. "Well, you certainly are popular tonight," she murmered, flicking her gaze up to where the person would walk in.

Dante snorted. "As if I would let relatives stay with me. My relatives annoy the hell outta me. And to answer your question, yes, I killed her brother." He left it at that, still waiting for the person at the door to enter and grace them with their company. He looked at his blonde visitor, seeing that she hadn't really changed her look over time, as he thought she might. She was dressed in her usual leather getup, all black leather, of course. She had a black leather collar around her neck, no buckle, just leather. It was more of a choker to Dante's eyes. A black corset-style shirt rested over her chest, revealing her belly slightly. On her hips and legs sat black leather pants, with black leather boots resting on her feet. Stiletto-style heels, of course. Dante rolled his eyes.

His thoughts drifted back to his visitor. He couldn't think of who it might be. He looked up at Trish, noticing her long, blonde hair dangling by his own snow-white locks. He smirked, letting her stay that way, not minding a bit himself. He stayed on the couch, quite comfortable. Had he been wanting to go to sleep, he would have a magazine draped over his face. He was tired, but not too tired to entertain a few guests. He realized he still had Ebony and Ivory holstered, but didn't care. He kept them on him, just in case the shop was targeted. He looked toward the door as well, waiting for his next guest.

Lady reached to open the door after waiting a bit longer. Twice was enough to knock when it came to seeing Dante. From where she stood, it sounded like there was talking going on inside. Now she was sure that he must have someone else here besides the people she had seen coming in and out earlier. Now opening the door and taking a step in, she briefly let her multicolored gaze pass over the room before settling on the man. She wasn't wrong in thinking he had others here. She was surprised to see a familiar face there besides Dante's. "Hello, Dante," she said slyly. She was curious as to why Trish was there, but didn't think not to greet her. "And hello, Trish," she said warmly. She wasn't sure about the other person there. She wondered if something was going on.

Dante's blue eyes watched as Lady entered the shop. He had had a feeling that it would be Lady, and it would seem that his gut was right yet again. He wondered if she knew anything about Salem. He doubted it, but then again, Lady was usually pretty savvy when it came to his jobs. He smirked yet again, sitting up. "What brings you here, Lady? Got another job for me? Because it would seem I got a job to do tomorrow. Another one wouldn't be too good." He got up, crossing the room to the jukebox, which had shut off again. He pressed the button to start it up, and when he achieved no effect after pressing it several times, he reeled back and landed a fist on it. The jukebox lit up, playing a song reminiscent of his first mission. He turned back to his company, his smirk broad and unwavering. He walked back to Lady, handing her the letter and letting her read over it. "Do you know anything about this demon?"

Lady briefly let her gaze sweep over the room one more time before looking back to Dante and thinking to answer his question. She found herself looking down at the letter and reading over it. "Salem," she said slowly, working the name over in her mind. She frowned as she spoke the demon's name. "I believe I may have heard this name before, but I can't say I know anything about this one." She looked up from the letter and held it out for Dante to take back.

Dante nodded, somewhat sadly. If anyone was going to know anything about this devil, it would be Lady. He took the letter back and folded it, tucking it into his coat pocket. He sat back down on the couch, thinking a bit over the matter. _So another devil has it out for me, eh? This should prove amusing. Maybe while I'm out, I can pump it for information before I kill it. I wonder if this has anything to do with my old man..._ He looked up from his thoughts, nodding to himself. "Tomorrow's going to be a fun day. I'm going to enjoy a good fight. I hope this isn't all just hype, though. Can't tell you how many missions have been like that for me." He looked at Lady before closing his eyes. She hadn't changed her wardrobe, either. She and Trish worked consistent looks. At first glance, it looked like Lady was wearing a Catholic schoolgirl's uniform. Upon closer inspection, however, one could tell differently. The white shirt was a bit shorter, revealing her tummy, just like Trish's. Her hair was short, arranged in neat, feathered layers in the back and on the sides. Her bangs hung just above her eyes. Her "skirt" was really a pair of shorts covered by many ammo holders arranged around her hips, a plaid design covering them. She had a gun strapped to her left thigh, and the ensemble was topped off with high-grade, military-style boots.

Dante returned to his line of thinking, remembering what he was going to say before noticing Lady's look. "You guys can come along if you want. We may find out about a virus that's been taking hold of the humans in the city while we're out there. Been meaning to investigate it myself, to be honest. The EOD Syndrome, also known as the End of Days Syndrome. A devil-influence virus that originated in the Devil Kingdom. Causes the human host to become a puppet and be controlled by its devil puppeteer. You guys interested in tagging along?" His ice blue eyes swept over all of them, wondering whether they would be interested in such a thing or not. If not, he would investigate on his own and find out what he could.

Lady listened intently as she heard Dante speak. She was looking forward to finding out something so she wouldn't think to miss out on this chance. "If you really don't mind, I'll be coming along." She'd want to come along anyway if she had a chance to really learn something there. She wondered if the others here would have any interest in coming along, although it didn't really matter to her.

Trish had been pleased to see Lady walk in. Two girls would be more fun than just having her around Dante. She nodded to the other woman as she aknowledged her and listened silently to what Dante was saying. _EOD Syndrome..._ It was something that she knew about, obviously, but she was curious about it as well. If going with him meant more than being able to fight with him again, it would prove to be productive. The blonde woman nodded and tossed him a grin after Lady agreed to go along with him. "Well, I can't leave you two alone together, and what fun would it be to stay behind?" She was still leaning on the couch. "Count me in."

Hiro looked at Dante with interest. "I'll tag along, too. I might just find someone I've been looking for." He stopped, thinking a moment. "I'll be back before dawn." He began to walk toward the door before he realized that Lady was still standing there. He looked down so that their eyes met. "Where are my manners?" he said with a chuckle. He raised his hand to shake hands with Lady. "My name is Hiro. It's a pleasure too meet you. Lady, was it?"

Dante opened one eye lazily, looking at everyone. He was still sitting on the couch, getting ready to lay down for the night. "You might as well all leave now. I'm ready to sleep. We'll meet tomorrow morning at the Bull's Eye Bar. While I'm out, I might look for information regarding the tiger demon I was supposed to kill. That damn Demon Marionette gave me the wrong directions. I can take out two jobs at once." He nodded, as if agreeing with himself. He dismissed them now with a slight wave of his hand, laying down on the couch, his gloved hands underneath his head. He let out a sigh of exhaustion, the night truly having taken its toll on him. He was dead tired, ready for some well-deserved rest. He trusted that everyone would just let themselves out. Sleep soon took him, the last thought in his mind being of the girl and the tiger demon. Wondering what the girl was doing and how she was holding up, and where he would find this elusive devil that so easily evaded his efforts. This wasn't going to be some cake walk mission this time. It would seem it was leading into something larger than anyone could have predicted.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	6. A Kidnapping and a New Face

Dante awoke the next morning to the sounds of the city. A car alarm was going off a few blocks away, voices and footsteps could be heard outside his windows as the people passed by, and a barking dog could be heard from the residential district a few streets away. He opened his blue eyes slowly, heaving a sigh at being awakened by such things. He sat up, looking around the shop. He had a busy day ahead of him. He had two devils to hunt, one of which had a beef with him. He figured he might as well go ahead and start looking for clues about the tiger demon he needed to kill. Rumor was he skulked around town, seemingly looking for something. He had an informant in the district in which the devil was last seen. Perhaps he could find something out there. He had about an hour before he needed to meet the others at the Bullseye Bar. He picked up the guitar case that housed Rebellion, shrugging it onto his back. Carrying Rebellion like this made people think that, at the most, he was a strange traveling musician. He smirked at the thought of being something so ordinary. He took one last look around the shop before heading out the door, his destination lying a short distance away.

Back at Nightrose's place, Anshin yawned as she sat up in her bed. She rubbed her eyes as she woke up for the first time that day. She felt like it would be a weird day and something was off, seeing as she wasn't in her own bed and she was in another person's. The girl slowly crawled out from the bed and ran to the door. When her feet touched the ground, her mind started coming back to her, and she remembered Rosy coming home and holding her to get warm. She remembered the weird question she had been asked and how she had responded. Anshin blushed now as she grabbed the cold door handle and turned the knob. She hesitated to open the door, feeling that someone was outside, and she could feel them. Some living being was outside of her room and she didn't recognize what it was. She considered blatantly opening the door and screaming for dear life to grab Rosy's attention, but that didn't seem like a very good plan. The only thing that would ensure was that she was acting like a human child. She slowly released the door handle and backed away from the door, her feet giving an almost hoofed tap as they stepped back upon the wood floor. She was preparing herself to run away from the thing on the other side and remembered exactly where the window in her room was.

She yawned, slightly tired, but not having time to be with the intruder in Rosy's house. She wandered around the room, wondering if she should be doing anything at the moment. Everything was still and quiet, nothing stirred. An occasional shadow moved across the floor, but nothing was out of the ordinary. Other than the stranger in her new home and her new sense of fear, that is. Suddenly, a loud crash alerted her to a shattered window and more invaders. She screamed and stumbled back, falling on her ass and slipping away from them, running into a pair of legs. She looked up with wide eyes and a hand slammed down upon her skull. The girl struggled, grabbing the wrist and managing to pierce its skin, but the man didn't let go. He had a cloth in his hand with chloroform on it, which took a while to work on the little demon.

Eventually, she blacked out and fell limp to the quickly retreating intruders, her hat falling off as she rolled to the floor.

Back in another part of the city, Valen smirked as he stood perched on the rooftop watching Dante leave his shop. It was stupid, he thought. Demons would surely find him. He was, after all, the most wanted demon hunter in the world. Surely enough, within seconds, he saw two demons tailing him. It was amusing, really. He had once worked for these fools that made their way through the street so clumsily. He also smirked when one attempted to sneak up behind him on the roof. He turned around to face it as it scurried back a few steps. He smiled and taunted the demon towards him.

The demon seemed to transfigure itself and scream, turning bright red. He smirked as the lesser demon flew at him. He allowed it to grab him for the fun of it, but before the demon had wounded him, a blast echoed around the area and the demon was blown into pieces, small bits of gooey flesh and bright blood splattering the ground. He turned back to see the two demons following Dante frozen in place and smirked. He raised the gun and shot at one, the multiple pellets ripping through it and tearing it to shreds. He pulled back the obsidian handle and cocked the gun as two new shells replaced the old ones in a haze of smoke. By this time, the other demon had started to run and he raised his gun again. He fired at it, hitting its legs. It wasn't fatal, but it'd make it hard to get back to the other realm. Finally, he turned to see a demon approaching Dante. He jumped across to the next roof and put his shotgun away. He jumped down using the windowsills to slow his fall enough to not kill him. He walked over, avoiding Dante's sight and pulled out the shotgun once more, slamming the butt into the demon's head. He pointed the dual barrels down at the demon, smirking yet again. "Tell our mutual friend to do better then lesser demons," he said quietly.

He fired it once more, splattering the demon's brains and blood all over the ground. He then pulled back on the obsidian handle and the used shells popped out in another haze of smoke. He walked out in front of Dante and put his shotgun away. "So Dante, how's your business? I trust things are going well for the most famous Devil Hunter in the world." He thought a moment before continuing. "I need your help. I can't deal with this new threat, the EOD Syndrome. You, however, can."

Dante raised an eyebrow at the bloody mess the strange man had created. He was known to make a mess, but this guy could actually be some competition in that area. This amused him and a smirk formed over his lips as he looked at the man, crossing his arms over his chest. "And just who might you be, stranger?" He looked the man up and down, seeing that he was basically fighting with similar moves to his own. The shotgun was new, and the large sword on the man's back was almost as big as Rebellion. He had brown hair about as long as Dante's, and wore a black leather jacket with blue jeans. His clothing showed that he was very laid back, as did his attitude when it came to "hunting". He wore biker boots made of a black composite material and black grappling gloves on his hands. Dante closed his eyes, tossing his bangs from his face. He opened them again, the steel blue orbs piercing the man's very core.

"And just how do you know about the End of Days Syndrome?" he asked softly. "I was just going out to look up one of my marks, and then meet some friends at the Bull's Eye Bar to go look for another mark, a Phantom called Salem. We're looking for information about the Syndrome, too. And what makes you so sure I'm the man for the job?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow. The man seemed a bit sketchy, and Dante was more than skeptical as to his credibility. He stood with his arms crossed as he waited for the man to answer his questions.

Valen smirked as he looked towards Dante. "I was hired to kill you. I spent many months tracking you and fortunately for you, you impressed me and I refused the job. I used to work for the demons, you know. I don't anymore, and I kill them to protect others. However, the EOD Syndrome is something different entirely. It's not something I can shoot, and to tell you the truth, I don't have any leads whatsoever on what's causing it."

Dante's eyebrow shot up again at the man's cockiness. "Fortunately for me, eh? You must be some kinda fighter, then. I can't help but notice that you haven't told me your name yet. What am I supposed to call you? Believe me, I've got some snappy nicknames, but I doubt you'd like any of them." His smirk remained intact, admiring the guts the guy had to insinuate that he could best Dante, the son of the legendary Dark Knight Sparda.

Something else the man said held his curiosity. "You say you were hired to take me out? And who might have issued that order? I already dethroned the Devil King, Mundus. Who has the authority in the Devil Kingdom now? And who's the head of the Dark Army? Working for the Dark Army itself, you must have some inside info, right?" His smirk had widened as his sarcastic tone became more evident. He would seem like real smartass, which, in reality, he was.

Valen smirked. "Don't take it personally. I studied your fighting style for months. I may not beat you, but I won't go down easily, either. As for the demons, there's a new one claiming to be the Prince. Not many demons want to argue and the few that do end up disappearing. As far as I can tell, everyone's just letting him take over. I just called him 'Lord', he never had a name." He turned around to survey the street and then turned back.

Dante ran a hand through his snow-white hair as he thought a moment. "As to the End of Days Syndrome, I got nothin'. No leads, no nothin'. But once I defeat Salem, I'm hoping to pump him for information before sending him back to the fiery rivers that filled his veins. Same thing for this tiger devil I'm lookin' for." Dante shrugged, waiting for the man's final responses, as he needed to leave and see his informant.

Valen seemed to share his desire to leave. "We should move, Son of Sparda. A wanted man and you, the most wanted demon hunter in the world, are like two flashing red blips to demons. It's not safe out here. If you don't mind, I'd like to tag along. I am completely certain only you can stop the EOD Syndrome. I can't offer much, but I can fight and I do know a little about demons and their protocol. And before I forget again, my name's Valen."

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	7. Meet Enzo

Dante smirked at the man's apparent haste. He saw no need to move so quickly just because devils might find him. A good fight sounded fun, especially since the man had killed his assailant moments before and ruined a good warm up. "Valen it is, then. And I may just have to have a word with this Prince, should I make a trip to the Devil Kingdom. As to the whole radar thing, you may be a blip, my friend, but I'm a flashing red beacon. Come along if you want. Who knows? I may get some use out of you."

Several dark patches appeared in the air in front of the two, releasing eight devils onto the street, blocking Dante's path. Seven Hells stood in a line in front, while a Hell Vanguard looked on from the back. He smirked. "Well, well, well... The Seven Hells. Lemme see if I can get this right." He began with the one on the left end of the line, a devil in a tattered black cloak with a rusty scythe in its gnarled hands. Its face was sunken in and gaunt, red lights where eyes should have been. The skin was pallid and gray and it walked in an almost zombie-like fashion. Dante pointed to it and spoke one word. "Pride."

He looked to the devil next to it down the line, a demon with the same pallid skin and gaunt features. It also carried a scythe, but was wrapped in red cloth with feathers forming a makeshift collar around its wrinkled neck. Its eyes were glowing white instead of the usual red and hunger was written all over its gaunt face. Dante smirked and pointed to it now and again spoke only one word. "Lust."

He continued on down the line until all Seven Hells had been named. Soft moans issued from the mouths of the devils, waiting on the Reaper-like devil behind them to give them an order. Dante repeated the list one more time. "So we have Pride, Lust, Wrath, Envy, Sloth, Gluttony, Greed and a Hell Vanguard. Alright... I like a challenge. Just too bad you guys won't be able to give me one." He shrugged the guitar case off of his back, pulling Rebellion from it and pointing it at the Hell Vanguard, a larger devil wrapped in a flowing black cloak. Its skin was the same pallid gray as the others, but its eyes glowed a fluorescent blue, as did the blade of the scythe it carried, the souls of the slain moving around on its surface, forever trapped in the blade that had killed them. "Your move, Grim," Dante said, beckoning the devil forward.

Valen smirked as the demons appeared. "So, which one do you want? I personally like the big guy with the blue eyes. The big guys fall harder." He grabbed the shotgun off his back and turned to face them. He smiled and turned to Dante one more time. "Told you we needed to move," he stated matter-of-factly.

Dante smirked as he launched forward with Rebellion in his hands. He spun between two of the Hells, slashing them to ribbons and showering the air with blood. He laughed as he went through them and sent the other five scattering. He drove Rebellion into the ground and found the three of them in a triangle around him. He got a running start and grabbed Rebellion's hilt, keeping it in the ground and spinning around it through the air in a circle. He grabbed Ebony from inside his coat, shooting each devil in the eye as he went around before flying off of the sword, doing a back flip, pulling Ivory out and using both guns to take out the remaining Hells. He landed easily, holstering Ebony and Ivory and pulling Rebellion from the earth, his smirk widening. "Too easy," he stated with a grin.

He turned to the Hell Vanguard. "You're up," he said slyly. He ran forward and blocked the thing's scythe as it swung down, ducking under it and slashing its legs, making spurts of black blood appear on the ground. The Hell Vanguard yelled in pain and Dante laughed as it landed grotesquely on its knees. "What's the matter? Weak knees?" He pulled Ebony and Ivory out again, pointing the barrels of both guns on both of the glowing blue eyes. He smirked. "See ya." He fired, sending a shower of black blood out of the back of the thing's head, annihilating it. He holstered Ebony and Ivory and put Rebellion back in its case, shrugging the guitar case onto his back. He turned to Valen. "Well then, let's go." He set off walking toward the bar where he was sure he could find his informant.

He continued on to the bar, assuming that Valen was following him. He didn't look back to see if he actually was, but was sure that the man was tailing him like a dog tailing his master. He reached a bar in a shady part of town, a bell ringing as he opened the door. He stepped inside and walked to a table near the back, away from prying ears. A man sat at the table, a tan cap casting a shadow over his pudgy face. He looked up as Dante sat down, his face showing a dim-witted expression.

Dante smirked, resting his arm on the table in front of him. "What do you have for me, Enzo? Any jobs or information that might prove profitable or useful?" he asked sarcastically. Most of the jobs had been for small pay and no glory. He looked at the pudgy man, Enzo Ferino with his light blue eyes, trying to see into the man's soul. Enzo was a short, stocky man with beady black eyes and a nasty drinking habit. He was, however, Dante's only informant and an old friend.

Enzo sighed, finishing the mug of beer that was in front of him. He slammed it down on the table, giving a belch before speaking, slurring his words a slight bit from the alcohol. "Dante, that tiger devil you were supposed to take down is still alive. Care to explain? Unless you can come up with a good excuse, my ass is dead meat. What happened? You're not usually this sloppy on the job."

Dante looked at the man a bit more intently. "Enzo, something happened along the way. In fact, a few somethings happened along the way. I fought a Demon Marionette, who gave me some bad info as to the devil's whereabouts. I found and killed the wrong devil. Then there was a little girl... it was her brother. She tagged along for a bit, then went home with a woman who calls herself Nightrose."

Enzo's expression became slightly more interested at the name. "Did you say 'Nightrose', Dante?" Dante nodded, still smirking. During his entire explanation, he hadn't shown a bit of remorse for what had happened. Enzo began again. "Be careful around that woman, Dante. Make one false move, and it could be your last. You understand me? As to your mark, I heard that he was coming this way. Be ready for anything, Dante."

Dante nodded, leaning back a bit. "One last thing before I go, Enzo. What can you tell me about a Phantom that calls himself Salem? Where can I find him? Tell me anything you know about him."

Enzo thought a moment, scratching his stubble-covered chin. "Well, I did hear that a giant spider has been seen around the red-light district. Last seen around some abandoned warehouses. Be careful on this one, too. Phantoms are high-ranking Demon Generals in the Dark Army. They all have a beef with your old man, so expect some nastiness. Cripple it from afar with your guns, then go in for the kill with your sword. Unless you want to kill it in a more stylish manner, as is your custom."

Dante nodded, smirking even more. "Thanks, Enzo. I expect to be paid a substantial amount of cash for each job. Got it?" Enzo nodded, and Dante got up, heading for the door of the bar. He made sure Valen was behind him before opening the door and heading back out into the light of day. _Next stop: The Bull's Eye Bar._

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	8. A Job Refused

A black cat stood in front of Dante when he walked out of the bar and mewled, looking up at him with her bright blue eyes. She wouldn't let him just walk by her this time. She seemed to be surrounded by smoke for a moment, as popping sounds could be heard under the cover of it. A few moments later she stood again, in a black trench coat, dark red pants, tight black T-shirt, and slightly heeled calf-high boots. She blinked at the man. "Damn, do you know how elusive you seem to be? I sit right outside your damned shop to try and get a word with you, and you walk right by! Anyway, I'm here for a word, if you're not too busy chasing your tail, of course."

Dante blinked, taking in and registering what he had just seen. The telltale smirk found its way back across his lips. "Well, now I _have_ seen everything. It would seem you caught me at a bad time. I was just on the way to the Bull's Eye Bar. It would seem that my mark, a tiger devil, is in that area." He continued walking, wondering whether the girl would tail him or not. He soon reached the bar, stepping through the doors just as a young man was heading out. Dante stopped, causing the man to collide with him for a moment. Dante noticed the markings on the man's face and smirked. "Looks like I found ya. You wanna fight here, or shall we take this outside?"

The man seemed to ignore him, staring at the ground. Dante sneered. "I'll ask you one more time before I decide, devil. Shall I kill you here, or outside?" He tightened his gloved hand into a fist, the leather of the glove making stretching sounds. Ebony and Ivory were only a few inches from his hands, ready to be drawn.

The demon snarled and looked at the white-haired man, realizing the man's hair was much like his own, and frowned. "Just the man I was looking for. Looks you're my only way to find _her_ again." His hand inched over to the hilt on his side. "I hate hurting people when there's no need for it... but..." He looked up at Dante, his sapphire eyes burning. "Let's take this outside, shall we?"

Dante looked at the devil, his smirk replacing the scowl that had been in its stead a few moments ago. He nodded slightly, turning and leaving the bar, holding the door for his opponent. When the devil had exited the bar, Dante let the door go and crossed the threshold and stood across from the man. He shrugged off the guitar case, pulling out Rebellion.

His cold blue eyes ran over the demon, sizing him up. "It would seem you know a bit more than the average devil. Got any information on the EOD Syndrome? It would be a shame to kill you and get money without first getting precious information."

The devil stood, head held high with the blank hilt in his hand. He blinked lazily. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't, but unlike you, I have no need to kill for money. I help people for it and find the bastards like you who take their loved ones away from them. I need to kill you to see who took my loved one away from me, and I will if it will protect her." His hand tightened on the hilt as a blade of fire extended from it and wrapped around his feet, seeming almost to be alive itself and waiting for its master's orders. "What about you? I have my fair share of demons that don't like me because I got them in trouble, but who would be so impersonal as to get a hired hand?"

Dante's smirk became even wider as he laughed at the devil's vehemence towards him. "You think most devils hate you? You couldn't be more wrong. I'm hunted down because of who my father was and what he did. Do you know why I hunt devils? They took my mother and my brother from me a long time ago. My father rebelled against his own kind to protect humans and destroy evil. My father was The Legendary Dark Knight Sparda. I vowed to continue to protect mankind after I lost my mother and my brother and to do that, I have to kill devils. That means you. And the client is strictly confidential, so I can't say who wanted you dead. It's a shame that I have to kill you now without getting any information." He sighed and pointed Rebellion at the devil, the blade gleaming in the sunlight. "And I'm not just some hired hand. The name's Dante. Let's rock."

The devil chuckled softly to himself. _Ah, the ignorance of a child._ He looked up at Dante with a blank, expressionless face. Not even beginning to say his reasons or anything that he had gone through, he raised his arm with the crackling whip slightly, only to be stopped dead in his tracks.

Finally shaking out of her trance, the girl slowly realized what was going on. She gasped, running up to stand in between them. "Stop!" she yelled, holding out her arms and standing in front of the tiger devil, facing the man who was trying to kill him. "Stop or, or..." She furrowed her brow and wriggled her nose. "Or I'll kill you!" In reality, the girl barely had it in her to swat at a fly unless she absolutely needed to, but she would if it came down to it. Or if the demon happened to be one plaguing society, then she'd go all out. She glared at the man, fists clenched tightly enough for her clawed fingers to slightly draw blood.

Dante blinked, his smirk replaced by a straight face. He looked at the girl, then at the devil. He looked back from one to the other for a few moments before the smirk returned. He pointed at the girl. "I get it. You're the one he's been looking for this whole time." He pointed at the man. "And you're the one she's been looking for all this time. How touching... siblings that actually take care of each other. I can't say I understand that, the way my brother and I tried to kill each other at every turn." He chuckled a bit, lowering Rebellion. "It would seem you and I have similar goals, devil. Why not work together to rid this world of the EOD Syndrome and the devils who are causing it? I wouldn't want someone with information to die before I could find out what they knew." He grabbed the guitar case, putting Rebellion back in it and zipping it up. He shrugged the case on, his body relaxing. "Looks like Enzo's going to have the crap kicked out of him again." He shrugged, leaving the two siblings to talk. He entered the bar, deciding that he would drop the job, seeing as the tiger devil might be of some use to him. Now all he needed to do was find and kill Salem. He walked up to the bar, sitting down. He raised his hand as the barkeeper came over. "Strawberry sundae," he said curtly. The bartender scurried off, and he heaved a sigh of disappointment. He had been expecting a good fight.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	9. Suppositions and Theories

The girl blinked and swallowed, not expecting Dante to give up so easily, but thankful that he did. She lowered her arms. _Despite his tough acting,_ m_aybe he's not all he pretends to be._ She smiled at the tiger devil, but quickly frowned. The both of them exchanged silent glances about what had happened to separate them, something only twins could do so easily. She nodded to the bar door, the man nodding in return as they both headed in and sat next to the man with white hair. "We didn't really exchange pleasantries. My name's Naoki, unless you've already been told that," said the tiger devil. "And I'm Enyo," the girl finished.

Hiro turned from where he sat at the bar and looked at Dante, seeing the disappointment on his face. He chuckled silently to himself. He chuckled for a short bit and walked over to Dante. "More people? Jeez, Dante."

Dante smirked, ignoring Hiro's comment. He nodded to Naoki and Enyo, acknowledging their introductions. "And you surely know who I am. Every devil in this world and the Devil Kingdom knows of me." He paused, taking a bite of his sundae that the bartender had just set in front of him. He chewed slightly, savoring the sweet taste of the strawberries in the creamy frozen yogurt. He swallowed it, turning on his stool to face Naoki. "It would seem I can't kill you, Naoki. You remind me too much of my father. I dropped the job, although my fat informant friend won't be very happy to hear that news." He chuckled a bit at the thought of Enzo being chased out of yet another bar. He turned back to his sundae, smirking as he ate it. The truth of the matter was, as he revisited the question Naoki had posed to him earlier, he didn't know who had wanted him dead. Enzo had a nasty habit of giving job descriptions without revealing the client. He looked back at Naoki. "Now that we aren't about to rip each other to shreds, how 'bout telling me what you know about the EOD Syndrome?" he asked. He was curious to see what this tiger devil knew, and how he fit into the picture.

Enyo allowed her brother to talk, and glanced at what Dante was eating with curiosity. She never really went out often, and had actually never even heard of a 'sundae'. She blinked, but said nothing.

Naoki sighed. "It's come up in quite a few cases. Sad, really. Mothers that would never even slap their children for the sake of discipline get infected with that... stuff... and slaughter them without any remorse." The demon's eyes brimmed with personal knowledge of the events that he spoke of, and sadness painted his face. He stared slightly off, looking at nothing as he spoke.

Dante sighed, setting the spoon down in the now-empty sundae glass with a chime. "So you don't know anything about who or what might be causing it, then? How disappointing. And here I thought you could be useful to me in some way." The Devil Hunter leaned back against the bar top as he sat on his stool, dropping his head back and releasing a disappointed sigh.

Naoki raised an eyebrow, realizing what Dante had expected of him. "Hey, I never said I knew a lot. How is a simple crime scene investigator supposed to know everything? Although, my boss may know more," he said thoughtfully. "Never thought to go and ask."

Enyo licked her lips and motioned to the bartender, pointing at Dante's empty dish and asking for whatever it was that he had had. A little while later, he returned with another sundae, setting it down in front of the girl. Enyo sniffed it and blinked, taking a small bite. She grinned cattishly, the chocolate in it almost intoxicating her as a small blush formed over her cheeks.

Dante shrugged, standing up and looking around the bar. It seemed that a few people from his team were still missing. Hiro and Valen were here, and he could only assume that Naoki and Enyo would be tagging along from now on. Trish, Lady, and Nightrose were all absent, and the planning couldn't begin until they showed up. He would wait only a few minutes longer before he left to look for Salem. Maybe the Phantom would know a bit more than the tiger devil did. In any case, it would at least provide him with some money and a good fight. He had an increasing debt that would swallow him unless he acted quickly, and a good fight sounded like fun. His blue eyes ran over a jukebox in the corner of the bar and the smirk returned to his lips, his icy blue eyes lighting up with excitement. He walked over to it, inserting a quarter before looking through all the songs on it. He found one that he had on his own jukebox at the shop and pressed its button, flooding the room with the music he had smashed devils to right in his own shop. He walked back to his barstool to wait for the rest of his small party, his foot tapping the whole time.

Lady entered the bar, the door creaking as she entered. She glanced around, considering it a good thing she hadn't come too late. She was afraid she might have missed the others, but it didn't look like everyone was there yet. She slowly made her way over to where she saw Dante sitting. She was silent, as was her custom when the mood struck. Today seemed like a good day to be serious, what with a big hunt being underway.

Hiro turned toward Dante and Valen from where he sat at the bar. "A demon I killed had two symbols on its body. The first was the Three Eyes of Mundus. The second was the Greek letter Sigma. Could that have anything to do with recent events?"

Nightrose entered the bar, her heels clacking over the old floorboards. Her orange hair bounced in neat curls on either side of her bangs, her bright eyes looking this way and that. Her sword still buzzed at her side because of Dante's demonic presence. She gave a short wave as she approached the group.

Dante gave a wave to Nightrose as she approached. It was good that he wouldn't have to leave her behind. "It's about time you got here, Rose." He had come up with a way of addressing her now that was short enough that he liked it. He looked at Hiro. "Marks on devils? That hasn't happened in a long time." He thought a moment, rubbing his chin. He looked back up at Hiro after a minute. "Mundus is dead and he's never coming back. As to the demons having split, that's impossible. The entire Devil Kingdom is united against the Human Realm, they either work together or die. That's how devils operate." He sighed, hating to shoot down such a good explanation. It just wasn't possible for Mundus to be pulling the strings behind the whole dilemma. He started for the door, not wanting to wait on Trish any longer. "Devils are always appearing with strange symbols on their bodies, it marks their place in the Devil Kingdom. The Three Eyes of Mundus is just a symbol that the leftover devil soldiers bear from the Devil Army that Mundus built before I killed him. The Sigma, well, that just means things are getting interesting." He smirked, exiting the bar, not caring if they followed or not. Trish would catch up if she was going to show at all, so there was no use in waiting for her any more. Since Salem had a personal grudge against him, he would fight him alone and allow no interference, especially since this was _his_ job. He began walking in the direction of the red-light district, a festering cesspool of demonic activity.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	10. Salem

Anshin glared at the demon before her. The spider demon smiled a wicked grin as he paced in the room before her chair. "You shouldn't have meddled with me, Annie," the spider growled. He was in a human form, so his eyes only looked like there were several instead of having several eye sockets. He had fangs and blackish skin with scraggly hair, wearing a suit that looked very wrong upon his form.

She glared right back at the spider. "There is no way in hell I'm staying here voluntarily! I left you in the dust way back when I left the demonic realm. They banned me! Isn't that punishment enough?" The little Capricorn demon seemed adamant about escaping from her bonds, as she had her hands tied behind her back to the chair and her legs tied to the chair at the ankles. Of course, the spider didn't realize she could slip out of these if she were in her Capricorn form, but alas, she was a human girl at the moment. The child had her head tipped down, covering her eyes with her bangs somewhat and hiding them from the bright light which lay upon her. She felt like biting off the spider's head. She was locked in a room deep in the mansion of their post in the human world. There was a challenge being sent to the group of hunters, basically taunting that something had been taken from right beneath their noses. Of course, the messenger was a measly rat demon who could probably provide a lot of information, but he was sent to die. Anshin's room had no windows, doors, or stairs. It was in the basement but it was only accessible by a hidden trap door beneath an ornate rug, which was covered by a bed.

Back at the Bull's Eye Bar, Nightrose followed the group out onto the streets, quickly catching up with Dante. She looked to Hiro, realizing that she hadn't formally introduced herself. She held out her hand elegantly. "If you didn't catch it, I'm Nightrose. Nice to meet you." Noticing where they were going, her steps faltered. "Dante, you sure we're going the right way?" she asked hesitantly.

Dante smirked at Nightrose's question. "Of course I'm goin' the right way. If my drunken lout of an informant says that Salem was last seen in the red-light district, that's where I'm goin'." He continued walking, entering the shady, ill-reputed part of the city, the red-light district. He looked around his surroundings, not seeing anything that might tip him off as to where he could find Salem. But in front of him, he noticed a rat running straight toward the group. He pulled Ebony and Ivory out, firing a couple shots at the rat, stopping it in his tracks. The rat looked at him, the pink eyes now glowing red. Dante smirked. "Say what ya gotta say now, or I'll just kill ya and find out myself."

The rat paused a moment before standing up on its hind legs, growing to the size of a man. "Salem wishes to congratulate you on getting this far, Son of Sparda. He also wishes to inform you that while you were busy doing nothing, something of considerable value has been taken from you." The rat devil seemed to smirk, as if enjoying the cluelessness it had visited upon the white-haired man. "I'll give you a hint: It's small and wears a hat to cover its horns."

Dante shrugged. "Don't mean a thing to me. Unless you got useful info, it's time to meet the exterminator." He readied Ebony and Ivory to shoot the devil to bloody chunks.

Hiro looked at the rat demon at first with dislike, and then with a little concern. He had no idea what the relation between the two were but he remained ready. "And thats why I don't come here," he said with a grimace as the rat began its small speech. "Dante, I'm going to scout around and if I find anything of use, I'll shoot a large yellow spark to give you my location." He disappeared among the rooftops.

Just as Dante was threatening the rat devil with his own two guns, the air filled with a bright blue crackling as a couple shots rang out, narrowly missing where the speaking creature was. From atop a nearby building, Trish looked down as the dust cleared, mild disappointment crossing her face as none of her shots actually hit it. "Ah, I missed." She didn't look too heart-wrenched about it, though, as her gaze turned to her old partner, an innocent, thoughtful look crossing her face. "It would serve you right if I did kill it though. You left to start the fun without me." She was sitting on the edge of the roof, her legs draped over the side and crossed in a lady-like manner. After a moment, she hopped down from the building, landing easily in her heels and straightening with one fluid motion.

Nightrose stepped forward, smiling at the rat demon and crossing her arms under her chest. "Horns and a ... hat," she said slowly. Her body tensed almost imperceptibly, lithe muscles training. Alarm filled her. "Anshin..." She hardly noticed as the rat took off running. But before it could take three steps, She has it pinned to the nearest concrete wall with her sword, glowing purple tendrils of power whipping the wind around her.

"Now, my rodent friend..." She leaned close, face smiling but eyes glowing, promising a slow and painful death. "I will let you go, scurry back to your master. Tell him if he harms one hair on my friend's head... I will pursue him to Hell, whipping him all the way. So go back. Run, fiend... GO!" She heaved her sword, sending the impaled creature into the air where the winds swept him up, sending him further into the sky, razor sharp strokes of wind slicing him. She stepped out of the way of several splatters of dark blood falling to the ground to look back at the group, still smiling. She tilted her head innocently and chuckled. "Shall we go?"

Dante smirked and nodded, turning to Trish, who had landed a few feet away from him. "Stylish entrance as always, partner." He began to continue on past the small puddles of blood that Nightrose had created by her unusual methods. "Must you make a mess?" he asked her with the same smirk. Salem's aura and his scorching stench was getting closer. The spider would have hell to pay if Anshin was hurt, but Dante would allow no interference in the fight with the hellish arachnid. Most likely, Salem had henchmen and lower devils that would fight while their master fought. "Looks like this is gonna be one hell of a party," he chuckled as he holstered his pistols.

He smirked as he neared a set, or rather, four sets, of flaming tracks leading to an abandoned warehouse. His ice blue eyes looked back and forth, searching for the creator of the tracks, but finding nothing. He sighed, realizing that his hand was gripping Rebellion tightly. He released it, his hands resting at his sides. "Leave it to a devil to not show up at his own party."

Just then, crashing was heard overhead and Dante rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a gargantuan spider that hit the ground, landing with a crushing sound. He looked up at the great orange and black creature, its six red eyes trained on him. It wasn't a typical spider in that instead of front legs, it had two powerful legs tipped with massive pincers. The beast began to speak. "Ah...another small one. I thought I sensed something a little bigger. What a disappointing catch."

Dante smirked, stepping forward. "What a big surprise. I hope for your sake you got somethin' inside that big body of yours." He knocked on the spider's body with his fist a few times.

The Phantom roared. "You puny, pathetic thing! I'll step on you like an ant!"

Dante's smirk widened as he pulled Rebellion from the guitar case and brandished it at the devil. "Showtime!" He ran forward, dodge rolling as the Phantom shot a beam of light from its mouth that obliterated the nearby wall. Shadows appeared near everyone else, and several hundred devils rose up from them, ready to keep the others at bay while Dante and Salem had their grudge match. Three Hell Vanguards appeared, each one choosing a different target. They started advancing on their targets: Naoki, Hiro, and Trish and Lady.

Enyo squeaked when she saw the spider, being actually quite afraid of them, ironically. She inched toward Naoki. "N-nao-ki? A-are you g-gonna do any th-thing about th-that?"

Naoki frowned and cracked his whip at the nearest demon. "A little--" the whip cracked, "Busy now, sis... He's all yours." Enyo gulped and took her sword, Duille, from its spot on her back. _Figures,_ she thought. _HAD to be a spider..._ She advanced, going on the opposite side from Dante against the spider. She inhaled, closing her eyes for a split second and gained her composure. Suddenly, she faced the spider with a whole new resolve.

Dante held Rebellion out, the blade blocking Enyo's path. "While I see you're more than capable of fighting, how about ya leave this one to me, eh? I see some Lust Hells over there that need their asses kicked, and I think you're just the chick to do it." He nodded, turning back to his opponent. _No interference. Just you and me, big guy._ Salem roared and shot another beam Dante's way that missed by a mile. Dante smirked. "Guess I'm in his blind spot." He dodged rolled as a massive leg came down on the place where he had just been standing.

Enyo blinked and frowned, nodding. She didn't like being pushed out of the battle like such a child. But she would deal with that later. Hefting Duille over her shoulder, she glanced at the Hells over her shoulder, her eyes flashing blood red. Tsking, she sighed, diving her sword tip-first into the ground as a temporary holder of sorts. She raised an eyebrow as they came toward her. She undid her coat and sheath, laying them on the ground by her sword. She suddenly seemed to glow, as if she was engulfed in a blue flame. Moments later, a huge white tiger with crimson markings stood in her place, roaring fiercely at the demons. _Come on_, her voice boomed, almost as if it was inside one's head instead of their ears, _You really think I'll break a sweat with you guys?_

Dante laughed as he dodged Salem's attacks. "Not bad for an overgrown beetle! What else ya got?" He sheathed Rebellion on his back, pulling Ebony and Ivory out. He waited until the spider was close enough before firing once and shooting out one of the spider's six eyes, a spurt of lava issuing forth from the socket.

Salem roared, shaking and thrashing his massive body around. He looked at Dante with his five remaining eyes. A tail, much like a scorpion's rose from his body. "Recess time's over, boy."

Dante holstered Ebony and Ivory and pulled Rebellion again. "Good. I was getting tired of playing your childish games!" He launched forward with Rebellion held ready. His assault, however, was interrupted by the giant tail slamming down in front of him. He frowned, dodging away from the tail as he ran toward the spider's body.

Salem saw him coming and swatted him with his clawed arm. Dante back-flipped, landing on his feet and wiping a small trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. He dodge-rolled again, narrowly avoiding a second blow from the clawed arm. He landed a solid blow with Rebellion on one of the back legs. Lava issued forth like blood, scorching the ground as Salem screamed and turned himself around, limping slightly. "Son of Sparda... prepare to die!"

Naoki smirked as she heard his sister roaring behind him. She always had a short temper, even if she didn't like hurting people unless she had to. With another crack of his whip, the demon he faced backed up again, showing that he was merely playing with it, much like a cat with a mouse.

Lady didn't have any trouble fighting her opponent with her guns. It took a while, but she knew she could defeat the things in front of her. She had seen the others fighting, and they seemed to be doing fine with who they were fighting, so she was alright with taking her focus off of them. She shot off her guns a few times now as she fought against her opponent and wondered if by the time she was done here she would see the others were also done. She didn't expect this battle to last that long, but then again, she wasn't sure what to expect. The Hell Vanguard slashed at her repeatedly, the scythe a blue blur flying through the air. Lady back-flipped out of the way of the blade, firing shots when she could get them in. She smirked a little, cursing Dante's influence over her. She pulled out her rocket launcher, Kalina Anne, and fired it, obliterating the demon that was attacking her.

Back where Dante was fighting Salem, he sighed, heaving Rebellion back up onto his shoulders. "How long do you plan on taking to get serious? I'm beginnin' to get a little bored." He looked around the area, watching the others, smirking as he did so. "Not bad, guys."

Salem laughed and jumped up into the air, designating Dante as his target. "Don't space out, boy. I won't enjoy killing you if you're distracted!" He landed, sending a shockwave out from where he landed. He began laughing, but was cut short as a fountain of lava came bursting from his middle. He let out a scream and lifted his body, revealing Dante with Rebellion thrust through his body. Dante smirked. "Maybe you should look before ya leap," he said slyly. He planted Rebellion's hilt in the ground, keeping Salem in place. He pulled Ebony and Ivory out, pointing them both at the point where Rebellion was going through Salem's body. His hands and the guns began to glow a bright crimson with small bolts of lightning crackling. His eyes lit up as his smirk widened. "Jackpot!" he said simply as he fired, blowing a huge hole in Salem and sending the spider flying, landing on his back. He screamed in agony, thrashing about.

Dante approached him, ready for some information. He noticed a symbol on Salem's tail. His eyes narrowed. _Another Sigma, eh?_ He picked Rebellion up and sheathed it, keeping Ebony and Ivory ready. "So, let's see what you know, you smelly bug. What's the Sigma on your tail for? Whose command are you under?"

Salem laughed through his screams of agony. "Son of Sparda, you and your entire world will perish under the Devil Prince's rule! Your father may have defeated Mundus as well as yourself, but that is but a small measure as to the strength of Diabolus! He will crush you and rule this world!"

Dante smirked and aimed Ebony and Ivory at the devil's head. "Thanks. You've been very helpful. Sweet dreams." He fired a few rounds, killing the demon and causing its body to decay in flames and lava that scorched the ground under its corpse. He continued on into the warehouse to rescue the girl. He still didn't know the girl's name, but he had an idea who she might be.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	11. The Hostage Rescued and the Mystery Girl

Dante entered the warehouse and looked around. Amidst all the boxes was a staircase, but it was surrounded by crates that looked none too safe. He smirked and continued onward, going through the box labyrinth and finally finding the stairs. He descended them, keeping a wary eye out for any enemies. Ebony and Ivory held at the ready, he stepped out into a corridor with a few rooms. It was dingy and dark, grime coating the walls. He came to a door that caught his attention, the letter Sigma "gracing" it. He nodded, kicking it in and finding nothing inside. The carpet, however betrayed a detail to his eye and he lifted it to find a trap door. He stepped down the ladder, seeing the small girl whose brother he had killed earlier. The same girl that had gone to stay with Nightrose. He looked at her. "Oi. Let's go. I know a lady with a whip-sword who's really worried about you." He held his hand out to the girl. He normally didn't have any kind of friendly disposition when it came to kids, but with this girl, it was different. At least, right now it was.

"Where'd the ladder come from? It's obviously ancient, you should get off of it before it breaks and sends you sprawling to the ground like a peace of minced meat," schooled Anshin. She didn't really listen to what the man said, she had been left in a room with a trap door in the roof. Dark, dank, quiet, with sights of a beautiful room she could envy, even if she didn't, and no escape, no ladder, no rope, no light. She really began to get curious as to what type of room she was in. It wasn't a normal one. The fact that there was, indeed, a ladder, meant that there had to be some other things she hadn't noticed. She looked around in the darkness, only seeing walls and corners, not even rats made it down to the cellar. It was almost like a septic tank without the septic part. She hated ladders, she demons, and she hated a few other things, like people who kill for no reason. She couldn't really help but hate, or at least dislike Dante, her supposed rescuer who didn't really seem to be doing a good job of it. She was watching the rope ladder again, it was a very weak ladder, more sturdy then a tether, but not that strong at all. Anshin wondered if Salem was going to drop down here and just rape her for all eternity or until they died because it was such a contained place. She didn't even think there were holes for air, although she assumed that new air was somehow getting into the place, maybe through cracks around the door, she wasn't really sure. The more Anshin thought about it, the weirder it got, the ladder being the weirdest part. She knew she had been thrown down into the room, proof being her own ass, throbbing in pain and currently being spared by her laying upon the cold cement ground, and because Salem was a spider demon, he could just crawl up the wall, which actually was slightly rounded at the sides, but she was just an observer. There was no straw or things to use for a bed, only what Anshin had on her when she was thrown down. Anshin frowned as the ladder creaked and moaned, having too much weight on it.

Dante grabbed Anshin's tiny wrist, hauling her up into his free arm. He looked up and noticed the tethers holding the rope ladder up were ripping. He smirked and leapt, doing another jump off of the ledge where the ripping tethers were. He smiled in satisfaction as his boots hit solid ground at the same time that the ladder did. He set Anshin down, still holding her hand. He began to guide her out of the dark, damp place of her imprisonment. The girl's hatred for him couldn't have stood out more, and it made him sigh. He shrugged it off, not really caring whether the girl hated him or not. She could if she wanted to, carrying a grudge with her for the rest of her life that would make her lose herself to her demon blood. In the end, intelligent beings and mindless killers like demons were only set apart by just that: intelligence. He left the warehouse, stepping out into the dim sunset with the girl walking close beside him.

Anshin bowed her head as she walked next to Dante. As they came out of the exit, she bit her finger and stared up with her head down, her hat firmly in place and her steps a bit slower, slipping her hand behind his leg. She didn't really know who was out there and she wasn't sure she wanted to. She could be mad at Dante and use him as a shield all the same. She wasn't really that mad at him. Her brother had only come to make sure she was okay, she had survived on her own for several years and he hadn't once come to check on her. It gave her a small grudge against him to begin with, but she did love him. She regretted his death, but did not really mourn it. What was done was done. She had more brothers and sisters and she was still alive. A small thankfulness filled her chest as she realized he was saving her and she had clung to him when he brought her from the hole, closing her eyes and burrying her head in his shoulder. The small girl's silver hair popped out this way and that, hidden mainly by her hat. She wrapped her other hand around the man's and continued to shrink behind him.

Hiro looked at the remains of the Phantom and spat. He walked over to them and leaned down, examining the symbol on the crumbling tail. "I believe that research could yield more answers," he stated. He walked towards Dante and put his hand on the man's shoulder. "Well done, my friend. I must go for now. I will find the answers we seek. Farewell for now." He faded out of existence.

Dante nodded as Hiro left, and noticed the girl had been clinging to him when he had been carrying her up the ladder. He also noticed that the girl's hatred for him had diminished significantly since he had first met her. He spared only a short glance for her, making sure she was keeping up, his gloved hand still grasping her tiny one. The sun was setting as he entered the area where the others were still fighting, the small army of devils that had risen almost gone now.

A few devils appeared in his path and he punched through them, rending them to shreds and walking through the remains toward the others. He had no time to waste on such lower class devils as those. His ice blue eyes surveyed the area, looking for any stronger opponents that might be left. Seeing none, he stood back and watched the others finish their fights.

Anshin continued to cling to him, burying her face in his side when he killed the demons and then looking back around. She was acting like a human child again, wincing at the sight of blood and cowering away from that which was frightful. She was actually very use to scenes like this, even if she didn't like them at all. She was a peaceful devil and in being that, she did not yearn for bloodshed. She began to hum a shaky tune to get her mind off of everything that was going on around her. It was a happy tune and only the shake gave notice to the fact that she was uneasy and, thus, humming.

Lady wasn't sure about the others, but she found herself quickly able to finish off the opponent she had. She pulled the bloody bayonet of her rocket launcher from the chest of a felled devil and surveyed the area. Multicolored eyes wandered about for a moment until they stopped to look towards the direction she had originally had come from. It seemed she had been so engrossed with her fight she missed where the others had taken off to. She began walking, hoping to catch up with the others, wherever they had gotten off to.

Enyo, whom had gotten quite bored ealier as it was, yawned and finished off the last demon with a lazy swipe of her paw, spraying black blood over the ground. Naoki came up behind her and clicked the handle of his weapon onto his side, laying his hand on Enyo's large side. He sighed. "So, what now? Seems everyones gone and left without a word."

Enyo huffed. _Hmf. This is why I don't get involved with people. So scattered._ She turned her head to look at him. _I don't know. Wherever you go, I will as well. Will you follow that man?_

Naoki nodded. "I think I will. I'm curious as to what he will do next."

She smirked. _You know, curiosity killed the tiger._

Naoki returned an identical smirk, his eyes seeming to glow for a moment. "Yes, but satisfaction brought it back." He turned and seemed to melt into a near identical cat as Enyo while she looked like a housecat, except for the ivy mark she had on her ankle. She nodded and turned as well, melting into her much smaller form and following.

Hiro appeared again, not having taken a long journey. He had found out what he needed to know, at least, he had found enough to satisfy him for a moment. He walked up to Dante and the little girl. He looked at her for a moment, but not in distaste, just curiosity. He leaned his head toward Dante's. "Was this the girl? Hmm, not exactly prime bait," he whispered.

Dante smirked and nodded. "I suppose not. I trust you can do one last thing for me, as I have some things to do myself? Take this girl to Nightrose. S he'll be happy to see her. I have to go find Enzo. He said something about another lead about all of this crap. I think we might be getting somewhere, Hiro."

With that, Dante turned, coat flapping in a breeze as he left the bloody scene of the battle between devils and those who hunt them. He headed back to the shop where Enzo should have been waiting for him. On the way there, however, he passed a certain being that caught his interest in passing. She looked normal enough, but her aura reeked of evil. His eyes glinted with interest. _Vampire and demon, eh? Interesting._

He caught the woman's arm, stopping her motions. He looked at her with his icy blue eyes. "What's the hurry? Surely with all that different blood in you, you can stop and chat with me, can't ya? You wouldn't want to be rude, eh?" He smirked and looked into the toffee brown eyes that told him what lurked beneath the surface of the human form.

A single hand had its slender fingers run through the girl's snow white bangs before crossing over the boundary to her raven strands of hair. "What the...?" Her thoughts were interrupted when her body was forced to a stop; causing her train of thought to be lost. Her light sky blue orbs slightly narrowed at the sight of his arrogance, and the proof being that smirk that the stranger wore. Shiran took note of the light silver tone of his hair, and those cold eyes that seemed to pierce her - taking note of the composition and perhaps deeper into his being. The iris of her eyes had been toffee; for that reason did she curse at herself for attempting to take possesion of the body that belonged to neither her nor her indwelling spirit.

_Damn, Shirin_... the voice of her other self chided as it watched from through her eyes. "If you haven't noticed, I'm caked in blood and my body grows weaker with every moment," she stated plainly. Yes, she could've picked a fight, or have said something witty, but this wasn't the appropiate time. As though to prove her point, her legs began to tremble as they weakened under the pressure of her own weight. Luckily, her cloak had been buttoned to hide the rather revealing, tattered clothing along with most of the scarlet liquid left behind after being attacked earlier. Although a few streams of blood were visible on the girl's face. "It would be ideal for me if you could do me the favor, and let me go." She knew well enough that it would take only a few more moments before the body would give in, and she and her other self would be rendered useless - even if he couldn't feel the pain- it was rather obvious with how difficult it was becoming just to stay standing.

_Shi-san, you don't know how to deal with __**my**__ body. If we don't get help, I would hate to imagine what could become of it with our many enemies._ Shiran communicated his concern for the well-being of the container. Although this was in the back of her mind at the moment, she deciding to just ignore him for the moment. Her real name had been lost long ago, long before the spirit had chosen her for a vessel. She had chosen a name almost synonymous with her "friend", one that had a hidden meaning known only to herself. She was Shirin Safara, a Devil Hunter.

Dante smirked, scooping the girl up into his arms, seeing that her legs were weak. "No problem. Why not come to my shop and clean up and we can take a look at those wounds of yours, eh?" He nodded, setting off at a brisk pace toward Devil May Cry. He arrived there after only a few short moments, kicking open the door and carrying the weakened girl inside, laying her on the red leather couch in his office.

Dante looked to see Enzo gaping at the girl from the corner of his office with the jukebox. He came waddling over to Dante, wringing his pudgy hands. "Hey, Dante...who is she? She's hot! You lettin' her stay here with you, ya lucky bastard?"

Dante shot Enzo a cold glare. "Stay out of the way, Enzo. She needs help, not your lecherous words." He brushed past Enzo, going into the back bathroom, getting a small container of water and a few rags to help clean her wounds. He set them down by the girl and looked at her seriously. "I'm going to have to remove your clothes to get to your wounds to clean them. Don't worry about it." He shot another cold glare at Enzo. "You better wait outside for me while I do this, Enzo."

Enzo sighed, clearly disappointed at being denied such a sight, and stepped outside the large wooden doors. Dante nodded, turning back to the girl. He peeled back the cloak and the garments under it, surveying the damage to the girl's body. He tisked, wetting the rag and beginning to clean the blood off of her.

Shiran had no say in the matter; for he knew that there was no use arguing. Although he was pretty sure that the stranger would be surprised to see only blood with no wounds in sight. Even though they had healed, it had taken a lot of energy, and the body had been pushed to its limit. Shiran remained silent with his thoughts bothering him. It didn't help that Shirin continued to protest, but it was more practical to be with someone else rather than alone and defenseless. The demon wasn't enjoying this either; loathing the fact that he couldn't take care of himself and was forced to depend on a stranger like any other defenseless woman. To think that his body could've taken so much more abuse, and still be able to at least bloody walk! Shirin gave up and sighed as she reclined her head with her eyes closed.

Now, back to the stranger; what was his deal? Strangers usually don't offer their assistance unless they were interested in something return. Then again the scent of this stranger told him that it was a half-demon. This meant that he was only half corrupted due to his human nature, but still. Her fangs made their appearance since it took too much energy to keep her demonic aura contained. The ears and matching tail soon followed, and completed her wolf-demon appearance. Although he contained himself enough so it didn't fully come out, the bloodlust and desire to kill that came with being a demon. "Why is it that you help a stranger such as myself?" Shirin asked as one cobalt eye opened to glance at the man.

Dante's eyebrow shot up at the sight of the devil's transformation. He smirked a bit at the question and shrugged. "I guess I just got a thing for helping people when they're a bloody mess." He continued cleaning away the blood and wasn't even surprised to see no openings for the crimson liquid to exit. He knew the blood was hers, yet he smelled blood that differed from hers. He sighed, shrugging it off and continuing to clean her up. He nodded as he finished, the once-white rags now stained crimson. He dumped them into the pinkened water and carried them back to the bathroom before going and grabbing some spare clothes for her. He brought them out to her, laying them by her side. He thought a moment, wondering how to do it. He gently lifted her up, pulling the rest of her tattered clothes off, leaving the undergarments. He slipped the new clothes over them and got up after setting her back down gently on the couch.

He got up, crossing the room and opening the door for Enzo. The fat slouch of a man entered, looking immediately at the girl, his excitement fading as he saw her clothed. Dante sighed, pushing past the man and sitting behind his desk. He looked at the pudgy fleshpile. "What did you need to tell me, Enzo?"

Enzo looked at him seriously. "We've gotten reports of demonic disturbances at a nearby manor. We've also recieved intelligence that the place is linked somehow with the EOD Syndrome. You can start immediately. And about you dropping one of those jobs...you're lucky I didn't get the shit kicked out of me. Oh, and before I forget, here's your pay for killing Salem." He handed Dante an evelope which he opened, revealing at least five hundred thousand dollars. Dante smirked and nodded. "I'll get started tomorrow. For now, I have to take care of the girl. You can leave now, Enzo."

The pudgy man turned and left. The door shut behind him and Dante pulled up a chair beside the girl, looking at her through his snow-white bangs. "Anything I can get ya before I sleep for the night?"

Shiran was slightly agitated with the current situation, and then the fact that this stranger had dressed him. He had to remind himself that he couldn't dress himself...herself. Her single eye remained intent on the white-haired half-demon. He had no curiosity over the "Enzo", but it was aimed after the man who had helped him. The demon had to admit that in a way the man was his, her, savior of sorts.

"I would rather not be a burden." The wolf demon was too proud to ask for any more help from what she had already received. Shiran had already hatched a plan to leave as soon as morning came; preferably before the blue-eyed man woke up. "I have forgotten my name long ago; although I have dubbed myself Shirin of the Wolves," she properly introduced herself after seeing that it would do her no harm in telling him her, his, name. The gender issue had long confused her now having a man, or rather, a male demon, dwelling inside of her. She opened the other eye to gaze at him with an encrypted glint in her sky-blue orbs. W_hat a mysterious young man_. Shiran had never understood humanity, and its desires. He occasionally would feel lonely, but lived off his most primal needs such as food, shelter, and rest. The wolves have rarely seen such kindness, but he didn't change his view. It was better to be suspicous rather than screwed over, at a later time. The twin katanas laid right next to her raven tail, the tail itself slightly swished right to left in a slow, yet deliberate movement. Her ears twitched slightly; an attempt to catch any hints of danger, but none were found. "Thank you, half-demon."

Only a moment later did sleep soon take over, and her eyes slowly shut. Naturally, her body curled slightly into a ball with her head being cushioned by her forearms as they relaxed on the arm rest. The snowy bangs fell in place to create a shadow over her closed eyes, while her ebony hair remained in place with some of it falling behind her shoulders. His past had been nearly forgotten, but tonight one of those nightmares revealed itself; to whom it belonged was unknown to him. Her frosty tipped tails were pulled back by pure instinct, and fear had begun to settle within the pits of her stomach.

Dante smirked and waved her off. He leaned back in his chair at the desk, propping his boots up on top of it. He closed his eyes with a sigh, his head resting on top of his gloved hands. Sleep was not so quick to take him this time, but he felt very drowsy from the day's work. The new assignment intrigued him to no end and he wondered what he would find at this manor Enzo had spoken of. He chuckled and gave a small, shrug-like motion. _Whatever it is, I'm at least getting good pay for it. Not to mention I'll find out some useful information._ Sleep soon after took him, his dreams mingled with the memories of his father and mother, the faces of devils, and blood.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	12. The Party Crasher

Dante awoke to a huge commotion coming from outside of his shop and sighed, gritting his teeth. He was always in a shitty mood when he was awakened before he had gotten enough rest to be of any use. He tisked and grabbed Rebellion, stepping outside of the shop to see Hiro sprawled out against the outside wall, rubbing his face with his hand. His eyebrow shot up at the sight of his friend being bested so easily. His eyes drifted over to a strange man, the icy blue orbs sizing him up. He looked normal enough, except for the centipede tail jutting from his lower back. "Hey, hey, hey. I don't know who you are, but get the hell away from my shop," Dante sneered. "Don't ya know people are tryin' to sleep, shithead?" He sighed, stepping in front of Hiro and getting ready. He knew that the man was a demon, but his aura was past that of even a Phantom. Dante smirked, expecting a good confrontation. " Say, you wouldn't happen to know who this Diabolus guy is and where I could find him, would ya? Seems he's causin' us a lot of trouble these days. Goes under the letter Sigma. Know anythin'?"

Hiro's arm suddenly grabbed Dante's leg. Hiro looked up at Dante, his eyes ablaze. "Don't even think about it!" he said in a semi-snarl. He got and dusted himself off. He looked at the demon, his look almost sadistic. H e tried to draw his sword, but to no avail. The demon tried the same tactic of beating the shit out of him, but came straight down with a powerful kick. Hiro disappeared for a second and reappeared behind the demon. Hiro then stopped. The demon stopped too, his face contorted into an expression of pain. The tail ripped clean off, and blood spurted continuously from the gaping hole. The demon howled in pain and writhed, its limbs twitching.

Dante sighed, relaxing as he watched Hiro destroy the demon. "You know he knew a shitload of stuff, right? T hat was smart..." He shook his head, going back inside and waving Hiro off. "I'll see you in the morning. I'm going to sleep." He flopped back down in his seat at his desk, propping his boots up on it and leaning back. Sleep soon took him again, a nightmare gripping his mind.

_The demon world was experiencing an unusual spell of light as two brothers battled amidst the debris in an unknown stretch. Water poured over the ground the two battled on, bitter twins bent on different ends. Both looked at the other with anger, weapons unsheathed and ready to rend each other to pieces. One stood, bare-chested underneath a red leather trench coat, with snow white hair, a giant sword held in his hands. His ice blue eyes surveyed his twin, with the same white hair, only slicked back in a blue trench coat and undercoat. He held a katana in his gloved hands, rushing towards Dante. In crossing, Dante, slashed his twin through his middle, a spray of blood issuing forth from the wound. One word escaped Virgil's lips and echoed three times in Dante's ears. "Dante..."_

The next morning, Dante awoke again, looking around the shop. The last day had seemed like a blur to him. Everything had happened so fast that it all seemed to become one event in his clouded mind. He shook it off, sighing and getting up from his desk. He looked at the couch, seeing that the strange girl was still there. He nodded, leaving the shop to go to a bar for some wake-up time before going to the strange mansion Enzo had pointed him to.

He left through the large double doors, the wood creaking as he did so. From the look of things outside, he supposed it was pretty early. This was perfect though, seeing as he hated it when a bar got too crowded. The roughnecks usually gave him shit about the way he looked. They also gave him a hard time about the guitar case he wore on his back, never having seen him with a guitar themselves. He smirked and walked on, nearing the Bull's Eye Bar.

He stepped through the doors, the barkeeper looking at him with a somewhat confused expression. "You're here early, Dante? Did ya not sleep too well last night?"

Dante waved him off. "Not exactly. Just woke up a bit early and decided to go ahead and wake up and go to work on an assignment." He closed his ice-blue eyes for a moment, as if thinking. He opened them again. "Strawberry sundae. I can pay my debt today."

The bartender nodded, smiling slightly. "That's some good news, Dante. Coming right up."

Hiro entered the Bull's Eye Bar. He stepped inside slowly, his boots pounding over the hardwood floor. He saw Dante sitting there and sat next to him. He waved the bartender over. "I'll have the Ortega Special and a ham and cheese omelette."

"Coming right up, sir," the bartender said. He first handed Dante his sundae, and then went in the back of the bar to fire up the grill.

"Morning," Hiro said in a friendly tone. "The chick you had in the shop last night, a little someone?" Hiro asked in a playful tone.

Waking slowly, a lazy yawn escaped Shirin as she began to stir. Her limbs stretched out; her claws retracting slightly as her fingers curled. Groggily, her sky blue eyes opened before she shook herself like any canine. After the morning's wake up routine, the demon leaned back into the sofa. A hand scratched the back of her ear as he thought. Silently, Shiran mused over the memories that had presented themselves in his slumber. The spare pants, and shirt had fit her rather loosely since it belonged to the mysterous man. She tugged at the collar of the shirt, the one he had lend her, and took a glance to make sure that her 'brassiere' hadn't been damaged during the little encounter. Luckily, it was only bloodstained, so that was some good news. The problem was that her only clothing had been obliterated. As a demonic, spiritually male being; this was not good news, and the fact he rarely was in control of the host's body caused some difficulties. An ominous feeling stirred in his belly; it was what many called 'woman's intuition' -what a pain in the ass that was. The wolf-demon was still getting used to it, and this single time chose to ignore it.

A determined growl sounded outside of the door to the shop, and the wood seemed to explode into splinters as the door flew off of its hinges and smashed against the opposite wall. Blinded with fury, the demon's hand went for the neck of the closest demonic aura, which just happened to be Shiran. "Ye shalt payeth for thine sins, bastard of the wolves!" The dog demon growled with his thick British accent, and it would seem he was a rather ancient being to be talking in such a manner. His fangs glistened as he barked at the unsuspecting victim.

With his momentary and unwavering hate, he pinned Shirin against the wall. In her already furry humanoid appearance, she resembled a mythical werewolf, but the fact that she was a dog with more of a domesticated look of a doberman, contradicted this assumption of identity. Bryce's lips were pulled back in a snarl as his grasp tightened.

_I've learned my lesson; note to self, never ignore that troublesome feeling_, she thought as her hands went to her neck in a futile attempt to escape. Her cobalt eyes glanced down at her twin katanas, but they were too far away to reach. With no memory of his past life, the demon didn't understand what this crazed maniac was talking about. And it seemed to him that he was stuck in time. "What the hell are you talking about?!" Shirin yelled at him, vainly hoping for someone to rescue her from this rather uncomfortable situation. Her slender body squirmed to see if that would loosen his grip on her, but it was of no use. However, he was pain tolerant, but just because he couldn't feel the pain didn't mean he didn't fear for his life. The vampire's influence over the host's body had lessened since it was the demon who was in control, so Shiran wasn't sure if she was still immortal, and wasn't willing to see if it was so or not. Breathing was becoming more difficult as the damned attacker's hand clenched around her neck. Even with her energy levels all the way back to par; without any weapons and caught off guard, she was as good as any human: dead.

Dante's eyes shot to the side, looking out of the corner of them in the direction of his shop. He stood up, grumbling about not having his morning treat. "I'll be back, Hiro. Stay here and keep the bartender company. Maybe you could tell him some of your riveting tales." With that, he turned and ran back to the shop, seeing the door kicked in. He stepped through, taking Rebellion out of its case and looking at the doglike being that had the girl pinned to the wall. He smirked. "That hardly seems nice. Come now, let her down and I'll give you a doggy treat."

The demon seemed strong enough, but he wasn't as strong as he could have been. This would be a good wake-up fight. He looked at the girl with a satisfied smirk. "Perhaps you need me more than you think, eh?" With that, he launched at the doglike creature, ready to shred it.

"Jeez, demons first thing in the morning," Hiro grumbled under his breath. He looked at a plate with a delicious looking omelette on it, and an orangish yellow juice next to it in a tall glass. Hiro took a bite, tasting that the eggs were so well done, they were light and fluffy, just the way he liked 'em.

"So, how do you know Dante? Surely thee must be an interesting tale behind that?" the Bartender asked in a friendly tone.

Hiro finished a bite of eggs, placing his fork down and taking a drink. "It was very interesting, actually. Dante was hired to kill a man named Antioch, who tried to become a great demon. Dante barged in, trying to finish the job quick, but Antioch wasn't in the room. He was just leaving in a helicopter. Dante and I fought on the helicopter pad." Hiro paused to remember the specifics. "It was pouring rain that night. Dante shot at me several times with his pistols, but they didn't work. I deflected them with my sword and advanced on him. Our swords clashed for well over an hour, and eventually we were too tired to fight. I learned why he was trying to kill my boss, and I agreed to help him. I snuck Dante in the building, and he killed him. We then did several jobs together, and grew to be pretty good friends." Hiro finished off his breakfast, and took the last bit of his drink. "Ah, thank you." Hiro handed the bartender the money. "This will cover mine and Dante's meal. Good day to you." Hiro left the bar walked towards Dante and his friend's plight.

"Ye mangy half-breed, stayeth out," the creature had managed to bark between his gritted canines. Bryce swiped at the intruder who dared to interrupt the quarrel between demons.

"You're Pryce, aren't you?"Shirin had been able to ask with the little air she was receiving. Her lungs were on fire. She could easily ignore the man's smart ass comment.

Bryce reconsidered his options and decided it would be best to run with the wolf rather than stay and fend off the intruder while getting information out of the demon. " Bryce," he growled into what he believed to be Fang's ears. "Thou shalt cometh with me, or perhaps thou would prefer to be torn limb from limb?" His grasp left her throat, and allowed her form to fall down to the ground in a limp state. It was a rhetorical question with a rather blunt threat. He took her in his arms with strength, of course, so the being couldn't escape him before running off with her. "I bid thee farewell, mutt." With his experience from the many centuries he had lived, he knew it was best not to understimate the enemy or to go easy on his only lead. The idea was to rough her up enough to get something of value, but to keep her alive in case she was to be needed. The thought had hit him that she wasn't the one he had been searching for, merely one of the clan. Just as long as he got his revenge, all was well. The hunter had lunged at him, and he so easily averted him to run past him, and through the door. His burly legs took him rather far, and he hadn't stopped until reaching the forest with the woman protesting, but he ignored that much. With the run, his temper had simmered down as intent had set in.

Shirin's hands went for her raw neck. The damn demon didn't have to be so rough with her. He appeared to be a girl; wasn't it in the code of honor not to hurt women?! Yes, the male demon was more than willing to take advantage of his newest form if it meant he could live for another day. "I don't see what you want with me! Are you even listening?!" Shirin had been mouthing off at him the entire time before this Bryce let her go. Well, his attitude began to surface the moment that the dog demon picked her up, and ran off with her. "What the hell do you want?" She hmphed slightly due to the frustration. This doberman didn't have to give her the silent treatment! He was becoming rather unpatient with this whole bloody thing that has been thrown out of proportion.

Dante cursed under his breath as he got up to see the girl gone and the beast bounding away. He sighed. "Guess you're not getting a treat." He took off at a rather impressive speed, chasing after the dog demon and the wolf. He caught up rather quickly, the demon blood in him being of the purest quality. It enhanced his speed to that surpassing a full demon. He smirked. "Bad puppy. Guess it's time to train you." With that, he lunged forward, punching the dog in the snout, sending him back a small distance. He stopped as the dog did, catching the girl as she fell from his arms. He looked at her. "You should choose your company better, babe. This one isn't even worth your time."

He turned to face the demon again, ready for it this time. The sucker punch had caught him off guard last time, but wouldn't do so again. With Rebellion held ready, Dante smirked at the demon as he wiped away a small trickle of blood from his chin. "Okay, puppy. Let's play."

Dante looked as the gigantic canine lunged at him. He dodged easily, but his easiness of mind only lasted for a few seconds as he looked to where the girl was now sprawled out, motionless and silent. Her neck had been snapped as a direct result of his actions. His anger welling up inside of him, Rebellion found its way into his hands and then found itself thrust through the shoulder of the devil. Dante's eyes blazed and he twisted the blade with a sickening squelching sound as blood poured from the wound. He gritted his teeth as he yanked the blade free, sending it spinning and cleanly lopping off the demon's head. Blood dusted the ground like a dark crimson carpet and slowly enveloped the body it had once inhabited. He looked sadly to the girl, knowing he could do nothing for her. He slowly wiped Rebellion's blade clean and put it back in the guitar case as he slowly trudged to the corpse of the girl. He picked her up and proceeded to a place only he knew of to bury her.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	13. A Place for Tears and a Time for Action

Dante trudged up a steep hill dotted with roses, most of the once-red flowers now withered and black. A fitting place for a grave, it was both tragic and beautiful. He stopped beside a single tombstone, white and cracked with age. A single word graced the stone. Dante sighed. "It's been a while, Eva."

He stooped down, transferring the girl to the ground in front of the grave. His gloved fingers traced the name 'Eva' on the stone, as if caressing each letter. He stood up, picking up an ancient shovel from behind a single oak tree. He began digging a plot for the girl that now lay beside his mother. A few hours passed, and Dante finally had the hole big enough for the girl. He sighed, wiping sweat from his forehead. He picked up the girl's body, his ice blue eyes looking over the girl's face with a sort of compassion. He hadn't even known her name, yet he mourned her loss. He placed her in the cold embrace of the earth, beginning to fill the hole. A fter about half an hour, Dante had finished and trudged away toward a bigger goal.

At Nightrose's house, Anshin sighed as she sat down on the steps just outside of the house. She looked up at the falling snow and just marveled as it fell. She hadn't seen Rose in a while and she wasn't sure what was going to happen to her, but she was worried. She sighed and dropped her head. Her hat began to get wet from the snow that collected on her and she felt her stomach give a loud growl from all of her activities. She pulled her knees up and laid her head against them, staring at the snowy path leading up to the door. The world looked so gentle even if it was so cold. It was like a frozen beauty who contrasted herself by her fair skin and mean attitude. Anshin felt soft tears trail down her cheeks as her heart began to hurt. She closed her eyes feeling the tears solidify on her cheeks and stood up. She walked down the path and began towards Devil May Cry. There was no where else for her to go. She had to find some shelter and without Rose there, she didn't feel welcome in such a big house.

Following the lead he had recieved, Dante approached a mansion-like estate. It seemed centuries old by its appearance, having ivy-covered walls and cracked windows. Dante smirked. "It's always some spooky old house, isn't it?" He continued walking towards the house, looking at it with his icy blue eyes. He approached the door, an old wooden thing emblazoned with a lion's head door knocker. He smirked at it as the eyes began to glow a deep crimson and a black form emerged from it, solidifying in front of him.

A demon looked at him from the ground a few yards away. It was lizard-like in appearance, and had a helmet made of bone that covered its "face" as well as its head. Huge, blade-like claws tipped its hands, as well as its back and tail. It growled at Dante as it reared back for an assault.

Dante laughed and rushed forward, jumping over the demon and pulling Ebony and Ivory. He aimed for a precise mark on the demon's body, a weak spot not covered by its armor. He smirked and fired, killing the devil instantly, and spraying the overgrown weeds in the yard with blood and brain matter. He continued back to the door, going through it and looking around the inside of the house. Cobwebs and dust covered everything in sight. Cracked mirrors could be seen down a lengthy hallway. Pictures in broken frames hung on the walls as well. Dante snorted. "Typical."

He continued down the long hallway, his short journey interrupted by a collapsing sound behind him, followed by movement with clanks, creaks, and other wood-like sounds. He turned around to see the wooden face of a Demon Marionette looking at him. It moved its arms, blades appearing where hand should have been. It advanced on him, only to find itself in pieces as Rebellion passed through it. Dante snorted and continued down the hallway.

He found a staircase at the end of the hallway and began to ascend it. He found himself on an upper level, in a room that looked like it used to be a ballroom. He stepped into the center, and light flooded the room. In a split second, Dante was surrounded by humans, although their eyes were glossed over from the influence of the EOD Syndrome and their movements were jerky and erratic. Dante looked around himself. "Well, this should be fun..." he said sarcastically, readying himself.

The infected beings closed in and Dante leapt above them, turning upside down and spinning in midair. He pulled Ebony and Ivory and sent a rain of bullets down on top of some of the infected humans, shredding their bodies and spraying their blood everywhere. He landed, pointing both guns in different directions and firing rapidly. The humans fell faster than any devil and made this an easy fight for him. While he didn't enjoy killing them, they were no different than devils now. They were no longer human, anyway. He took out the last few with four well-placed shots and left the room, stepping over the bloody mess he had made.

Back in the city, Anshin stumbled, falling down into the snow as she moved forward. She felt so empty as her small cold hands pushed up her little torso. The small child sat back on her knees and stared down at the snow, a blank look on her pale face. Her teal eyes began to tear up as she stared down at the small form, mainly outlined by her thick coat that now was covered with snow. The girl's legs were cold from falling, bare as they were, and she shivered but stayed there. Anshin didn't know what to do. Dante had killed her brother but she didn't want to intrude on Rose and live in an empty house. She closed her eyes and tears welled up in them as she thought about the woman. Something felt so wrong when she did, it was like she was missing. Anshin pushed her form up and shivered, brushing herself off and looking around, her small horned hat keeping her soft blondish white hair covered well.

She continued to walk forward, looking like a homeless girl with her lack of shoes printing small hooves in the snow. The Capricorn couldn't help it though, she continued forward all the same until the soft glow of Devil May Cry colored her body. She went slowly up to the door and reached up to the handle, turning it. She pushed the door open and slowly entered with her head down, a soft sniff escaping her as a few tears trickled down her cheeks. The little demon walked over to the corner of the shop, ignoring the loud music and a strange girl who was there. She stared into the back of the corner for a little bit, just thinking about her brother and the monster that had captured her. She then sat down, realizing she was still standing. Her knees folded and she pulled them against her chest, closing her eyes and sobbing into them. She couldn't help but feel sad as she felt the loss of yet another important figure to her. Pain riddled her small soul and tortured what heart she had.

The woman watched as the little girl walked into the shop. _How very odd... A young girl in a shop like this? Why is she crying?_ She deftly shifted her feet off of the desk and walked to the jukebox and turned it off. The girl didn't have shoes on and looked very cold. The woman then turned back to where the girl had walked and crouched next to her. She pulled her trench coat off and swung it around the girls shoulders to warm her up. She could tell she was a demon, but not like the others she had fought against. "Hey, are you okay?" she whispered to the girl. "Don't be frightened. I won't hurt you. Just want to help. You can call me Rayven," Rayven whispered to her, and smiled as she did. She wanted to make a good impression.

"I can't find Rose, Rayven!" the little girl wailed, looking up with sad, hurt eyes. "I went to her house and I can't find her..." She snuggled up into the trench coat and sighed, resting her head on her knees. She was worried about the helpful figure she once had, but she had never been afraid of Rayven. Nightrose had just disappeared after Anshin had returned to the house. She had received a mysterious assignment, and never returned. It went unsaid that if they didn't attack her to begin with, they wouldn't attack. She had never been afraid of any of the bounty hunters for that reason. Now, as she sat in a corner with this new girl's trench coat around her, she only hoped that someone would find Rose. She didn't believe the woman was dead, even if her mind told her she was. Anshin wouldn't, or couldn't, believe that she was gone. She had been looking forward to staying with Rose for some time and being how she was, she hoped the woman could keep her company and take guardianship over her in the human realm.

Rayven stood up and looked at the girl. "Well, I guess we need to find this Rose person. Come on, we'll warm you up and get you some food. Then we'll find Rose tomorrow." She pulled the girl up and took her into Dante's kitchen to see if he had anything to eat. She looked around, trying to find something, anything for the girl. Nothing. No food, no drink. What did he eat? "Well, looks like we'll have to order pizza." She walked back into where the phone was and grabbed a phone book and called a pizza place, making an order. After she finished that, she walked over to the girl and put her on the couch, wrapping the coat closer around her.

Back at the mansion, Dante continued on through the next room, looking for something that might tip him off as to what to do next. In the hallway ahead, he saw a small girl holding a cat. He approached her slowly, his boots grinding over some broken glass. The girl looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "Mister, will you play with me?"

Dante looked at the girl, stroking his chin as he thought about what to do with her. He smirked at her, shrugging. "Well, all work and no play makes Dante a dull boy, but what's your game, little girl?"

The small girl looked at him, her eyes still pleading. "Mister, I'm scared. There are monsters here in this place." She seemed to hug the cat against her chest, as if for comfort.

Dante smirked. "You're right. There are monsters here." He pulled out Ebony, rushing forward and pressing the barrel against the girl's stomach before firing a round that went all the way through her.

The girl's eyes went wide as blood rushed from the bullet hole in her stomach. She fell back and a growl escaped her as the hole got bigger until the body was torn in two and a devil erupted from it. It was the same kind as the one that had attacked him earlier, lizard-like with blades, but this one was gigantic. The cat ran away deeper into the house.

Dante looked at the gigantic lizard as it approached. It got in his face and roared. Dante waved his hand in front of his face and grimaced. "Two words, ugly. Breath mint." He pulled out Ebony and Ivory as the devil spoke.

"Let's play now, Mister."

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	14. Another Clue

Dante looked at the demon and laughed. "My, my. You're a big boy, aren't you? Well, let's play, then." He jumped into the air, only to be swatted into a nearby wall, forming a crater with his body as it hit. He coughed up a bit of blood upon impact, his body falling to the ground. He stood up, wiping the small trickle of blood from his mouth and looking at the lizard a bit more seriously now. "So, the big boy likes to play rough. Fine. Have it your way." He rolled under the lizard, sliding on his back, firing Ebony repeatedly into its underside, causing it to howl. He smirked, rolling to the side and leaping onto its back. He found a slit between the plates of armor, shoving Rebellion through it and making the blade come out of the creature's throat. It gurgled and fell as Dante landed on his feet, dusting himself off. "Game over."

He walked away from the corpse, following the way that he had seen the cat go. He entered another room, finding the cat next to a form on the ground. Dante approached, the cat taking off again into another room. He stopped dead in his tracks, realizing he knew what was on the ground. He knelt down, turning over the body. Nightrose's lifeless visage looked back at him and his insides shriveled. "Not you, too..."

"Are you warm?" Rayven asked as she sat down next to Anshin in Devil May Cry. "The pizza should be here soon." Rayven had forgotten that she still had her swords on her belt. She stood up and pulled them off, setting them next to her on the floor. She then looked over at the girl on the couch and saw the hurt look in her eyes. _She must really miss this Rose girl. I wonder what happened to her. _"By the way, I didn't get your name, what is it?"

"Anshinritusmei Dwin'ghymn..." the little girl whispered, looking up at Rayven. She gave her a sad smile. "Yes, thank you..." she cuddled up under the coat, staring at the ground. Her little legs were tucked beneath her with her own coat falling over her legs, hiding them. She looked up at Rayven and wondered silently to herself. She looked up at the door, her little hat falling forward on her head as she did so and pushing her eyes shut. She reached up with her bony little fingers and pushed it back onto her horns. The flaps, momentarily revealing the bottom of her horns, now fell back in place and she looked like a little girl again instead of some monster.

Rayven saw the little girl's horns under her hat for a mere second, but didn't say anything about it. She didn't care if the little girl was a demon. Rayven herself was a half demon. There was a knock at the door and Rayven got up, walking over to and opening the badly damaged door. She took the pizza, tipping the delivery boy and shutting the door, which fell over. "Oh well, I'll fix it later," she said as she shrugged her shoulders. "Pizza?" she asked Anshin as she walked back over to the couch and opened the box for the little girl. She smiled at her, hoping to make her happy, and take the sadness away for her even just for a little while.

Anshin's face brightened up and she reached hungrily for the box, grabbing a slice. She munched on it with a big smile on her face, even though inside she was killing herself. She had winced when the door fell and now shivered slightly, only thankful for the warm food. She wondered how Dante could even afford to keep this place running if the thing was falling apart. Then again, everything was made to be broken nowadays, so she wasn't surprised it needed repair. Anshin examined the door as she got closer to the middle of her pizza slice, using both hands to hold it. She held one under it and the other holding the crust. To the child, it was a big slice, fun to have fall all over the place and leave out of control, but Anshin was trying to be neat on the woman's coat. The cool luckily cooled the food somewhat to keep the cheese on, but it was much too hot to keep from losing all of the heat immediately. "Fank you!" exclaimed the happy-faced child, looking up at her provider now and giving a half smile out of her stuffed mouth. The last time Anshin had eaten was a while ago, before she had been captured. She couldn't help but let her stomach growl in hunger as she devoured her slice.

"You can eat more if you're hungry. I have to fix that door." Rayven sat the box of pizza on the couch and walked over to the door, picking up. She stood it up against the door frame and tried to fix it, but the hinges had been torn off when whatever it was had ripped the door out. She examined the door and noticed scratch marks all over the door. "Looks like a giant beast let itself in. I wonder if he had to go kill it." She left the door shut but not fixed. "Oh well, not my door," she said as she walked back over to the couch and sat down. She began to eat a slice of pizza, wondering about Dante.

Back at the mansion, Dante left the room he had been in, leaving a covered Nightrose behind him. There was nothing more he could do for her now. He entered a larger room, much larger than the one he had been in before. He looked around, the pitch black room now coming into focus as his steely eyes adjusted. It was about the size of an aircraft hangar, only the room was circular, like a lens with the focal point pointing upward. He sighed, walking into the middle of the room and looking upon it further. He saw a lot of old relics including an old gilded wooden chair with both back legs either broken or chewed off, and many old books scattered across the stone floor.

His breath was coming out in wisps of fog now, the room much colder than the one he had been in previously. His eyes scanned the room for anything that might be causing the temperature in the room to drop, but found nothing on the surface. He had a hunch, and he intended to test it out. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a wick lighter. He looked at it, opening it with a flick of his wrist and striking the flint. The flame flew up, illuminating the room somewhat. Dante let his demonic power flow into the lighter, focusing on the flame until it erupted and produced a spray like that of a flamethrower upward into the ceiling of the room. Two thuds and the appearance of shriveled forms proved his hunch correct. "Nice try," he said as he smirked and stepped over the corpses.

Dante left the smoldering corpses behind him, following a hunch, as well as the cat. He came to two large wooden double doors and pushed them open, the wood creaking as the doors moved. He stepped through, his boots thudding on the hard stone floor. He looked around him, his steel blue eyes flitting around the room. The antechamber was immense, containing enough space to hold a circus. Paintings of angels and demons alike decorated the walls and ceilings, the eyes of them all seeming to focus on the Devil Hunter. He smirked, stepping into the middle of the room, seeing a glinting object waiting for him. He picked it up, examining it. A ruby red metal locket on a thin red chain met his eyes, an ornate "D" etched into its center.

A voice interrupted the calm. "Welcome, Dante...Son of Sparda." A hole appeared across from Dante, space and time seeming to rip apart at the seams. A small cat hopped through it, the one he had been tracking. A black glow filled and surrounded it, enveloping it in darkness. It grew, its fur becoming shaggier and its eyes glowing orange. The slitted pupils of the Devil General looked at the half devil in front of it. The devil stopped its transformation, standing at least ten feet tall. Horns jutted from its forehead, and spikes shot from its spine. Three slitted pupils stared at him, the third eye between the spikes menacingly looking at him. The shaggy behemoth stepped forward, its breath smelling like the sulphur of Hell itself.

Dante quirked an eyebrow. "Well, well. Looks like I was right. The big bad pussy cat wants to play. First things first. You know my name. What's yours, putty-tat?" One gloved hand sat on Rebellion's hilt, the guitar case having been left at the entrance and waiting for him, the other on Ebony's handle. He was ready to attack as soon as the witty banter ended. The room had chilled since the devil had appeared, making his breath come in wisps of vapor.

The devil chuckled, its deep, booming voice echoing around the room. "Son of Sparda, you have defeated many Generals, but none like me. My name is simply Gnissus. Remember the name of the devil that will kill you, Son of Sparda." The massive head was thrown back, laughter erupting from the grizzled throat. A giant claw descended, and the fight began.

Dante slid back over the stone floor, dust rising from the tracks his boots made. His breath came in heavy puffs, his left hand covering his side. Blood seeped between his fingers, the crimson liquid dropping to the floor. The demon had caught him off guard and wounded him with a claw that had been well-placed. He smirked in spite of the injury. "So the kitty _does_ want to play, eh? Fine. Let's play." He got up, running the length of the room horizontally while firing Ebony and Ivory rapidly. Some of the bullets hit their mark, causing fresh showers of blood from the cat devil. Others rebounded off the walls, sending sparks to the stone. The devil roared, flailing its gigantic paws at the Devil Hunter, missing with every swipe. Dante laughed and kept firing, getting closer to the beast and gauging its reach. When he had determined a safety point, he rushed in, holstering Ebony and Ivory. He pulled Rebellion, the blade crying out its bloodlust. He leapt into the air, slashing at the devil.

The devil smiled, opening its maw and showing hundreds of pointed teeth amidst two forked tongues. A glow began to manifest itself in the giant mouth, and Dante's smirk faded, replaced with one of recognition. He landed and ran, his blue eyes darting around the room and looking for cover. He found none and cursed his luck. A laugh was heard behind him, as well as a boom. He instinctively dodge-rolled, narrowly avoiding an immense yellow energy beam that was being emitted from the General's mouth. He heard the energy crackling again and dodge-rolled a second time, avoiding another beam. He rolled backwards, seeing the devil preparing another attack. He dropped Rebellion, pointing Ebony and Ivory at the beast. He smirked, a red glow enveloping his gloved hands. "Sweet dreams." He fired, two large demonic bursts enveloping the bullets and surging into the cat's mouth, erupting in blood and flesh, which flew everywhere.

The devil cried in pain, backing away with staggering steps. Dante took the opportunity, grabbing Rebellion and running like hell towards the devil. He leapt into the air, aiming Rebellion precisely. He slashed at the devil's throat, slicing it from ear to ear, the gigantic paws clutching at the gushing wound as the demon gurgled. He grabbed a handful of the now-red fur, launching himself up in front of the thing's third eye. He thrust Rebellion, plunging the blade into the center of the creature's eye. Blood poured from the giant wound, washing over Dante in a disgusting crimson shower. He held the blade steady, twisting it slowly to ensure the demon's demise. The massive form fell, hitting the stone with a hollow thud, death gripping it tightly. Dante tugged Rebellion free, shaking it and himself off. He looked over himself, a disgusted look coming over his face. "Ugh. I've been in some disgusting places and been covered in some nauseating crap, but this is just nasty! Now I'm gonna have to dry clean this outfit! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get blood out of leather?" He kicked the corpse before walking away. He was heading back to the shop now, his new artifact in hand. The locket surely held some bearing on this whole mess.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	15. Going on the Offensive

Dante approached his shop, seeing figures outside that he recognized as Hiro and Anshin. He saw another figure unknown to his memory. He cocked his head to the side, his ice blue eyes sweeping the area. "Isn't this nice? I just get here and my guests are leaving? Typical." The pain in his side had since diminished, the wound sealing itself up. He knew he was still covered in blood, but that didn't matter. He could dry-clean his outfit at the office if need be.

He noticed that the unknown woman was sitting on a motorcycle. He smirked. "Nice ride." He looked at Hiro. "I got somethin' for ya. Here, catch," he said, tossing the locket into Hiro's hand, nodding toward it. "Found that before killing another one of Diabolus' generals. A giant freakin' cat." He spat, going inside the shop, instructing the others to follow.

Anshin ran inside after Dante and grabbed his pant leg putting her head to his hip and closing her eyes, trembling. "I want Rose! She's dead, isn't she? Why did she die?" Anshin asked, looking up at him with a soft pout on her face, her eyes tearing up somewhat. "Why did Rose have to die? What killed her?" she asked the demon slayer, feeling her energy swell up. Her own demonic powers began to rise as her emotions brought tears to her eyes. Her little hands began to shake as she stared up at him and she gently shook Dante's pant leg. "Please, you have to tell me who it was!" she begged. "Who killed my friend, Dante?"

Hiro came inside and looked from Anshin to Dante and sighed, kneeling down next to the small girl. He looked at Anshin, feeling her powers begin to well up and sensing her distress. "Anshin," Hiro said in as nice a tone as he could, "you must calm down."

"No! My friend was killed!" Anshin screamed. She spun on Hiro with her energy rising further, fueled by her own sorrow. "My friend was killed, Hiro! If it was one of them, then I deserve to know! I need to know what happened to my friend!" The little girl's energy continued to rise as she became more irritated with the group. Turning back to Dante, she expected answers. The little girl was a demon and she could be forceful, but she just didn't like to be. She wanted to know what happened to Rose, that was all.

Rayven walked towards the little girl, and sat down on one knee. "Anshin, please settle down. Everything will be alright." She also noticed the little girl's power was still rising. "You need to calm down, or your powers might become too much to handle," she stated matter-of-factly.

"What?" growled the little Capricorn as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the woman. "You don't think I know how to control my own abilites?" she hissed showing her older side, her more tempered demon side. "You think I'll just lose control like some halfbreed?" she growled as her temper continued to rise and Dante raised a hand in protest. She walked away from the woman with her back to her. "I'm sick of it!" she yelled. "I'm not a child! I look like a child but I'm not! I'm not human! I don't need to have death hidden from me! Now tell me who killed Rose! I have yet to even say I would attack them! You're overreacting like a bunch of idiots!" she hissed. She then turned, having reached the wall and looked back at them. "Do you want proof I can control my power? Do you need reassurance that I will not go mad on you?" she hissed as her power spiked. Her hat was sent off and she caught it as her horns revealed themselves. Her white hair fluttered about in the commotion and her power zapped at the floor. It then dropped to near nothing and the girl put on her hat again. "Give me answers," she said in the same angry tone that she had been using with them from the start. She glared at Dante. "Tell me who killed her."

Dante quirked an eyebrow at the little devil. Her anger surprised him, as did her resolve to find Rose's killer. He smirked. "You still don't get it, do ya? We're in a war now. This world and the Devil Kingdom are at war. The Dark Army is on the move, soldiers infiltrating our borders every minute of every day. Diabolus is even sending in Generals. It's fairly safe to say that that freakin' cat killed Rose, but I can't be sure. There were a hell of a lot of devils in that place. You want revenge? When I find my way into the Devil Kingdom to end all this, come with me. You'll have vengeance. Just wait a bit."

"I don't want revenge!" She scolded the group of humans. Her head didn't work like that. Revenge did nothing. What she wanted was closure. And she got it from Dante. She pulled her hat back on and went over to the couch, flopping down and glaring at the wall because they had misjudged her so badly. "If I wanted revenge I would be dead or Dante would be. He's very alive and walking though, isn't he?" she snapped.

Dante picked her up and put her on his shoulder, looking around the shop. He looked at Hiro. "What can you tell me about that locket, bud? I'm eager to find out what it does. Is it a key to the Devil Kingdom? Let's hear some good news."

He put Anshin down and strode across the room, sitting at his desk and propping his boots up on it. He put Ebony and Ivory on the surface of the desk, leaning Rebellion against the wall behind him. He sighed, pondering the events as of late. Too much had been lost to give up now. Now was the time to go on the offensive. Everything was starting to make sense. The war had produced a demonic biological weapon, the EOD Syndrome, to take over mankind. But the Hunters wouldn't let it happen, thus the war continued. The only way to end it would be to kill the current King of Hell, in his palace in the Devil Kindgom.

Hiro walked over to Dante's desk and took the locket. He examined it very intently, also noting the 'D' inscribed on the back. His amulet began to give off a faint red glow. He took it off and examined the two, one in each hand. "I recognize this amulet! The 'D' stands for Desmond...My father. Where in the hell did you get this?!"

Rayven looked around the room. Everyone was basically doing their own thing, so she went and sat against the wall nearest her. She pulled her two swords out and looked at them, her two most prized possessions. She sat them against the wall, then grabbed her guns and proceeded to clean them. She hadn't had time to do that since the demons had been attacking, so this was the best time to do it so they wouldn't jam later. She began to think as she cleaned. The EOD Syndrome had killed her adopted parents and she never knew her real parents, so she didn't really know whose demon blood ran through her veins. _I should get Dante to help me find out who my real parents are. I bet he could help._ Her thoughts began to race.

Dante eyed him, one eyebrow raising. "Geez, man. Don't ya listen? I just said a big freakin' cat gave it to me! I had to kill him for it, but he gave it to me!" he yelled irritably. He sighed, closing his eyes. It seemed his hopes were dashed yet again. His sword wouldn't open the portal to the Devil Kingdom, and the sword that could was already there. The Force Edge was the only devil sword that could open a portal to the dark realm, once wielded by Sparda himself. It seemed there was no way to get into Hell now. This was taking way too long.

He looked back up at Hiro. "What the hell does it matter, anyway? Just tell me what it does. Can it get me into the Devil Kingdom some way?" Dante just wanted to put an end to all of this, before anyone else got hurt. He picked up Rebellion, looking at the edge of his sword. A few nicks resided in the blade and he cursed. He put it on top of the desk, going into the back room of the shop and coming back with some slabs of metal. The metal was, of course, demon steel, and Dante could fix his sword on the fly. He put the slabs of metal over the blade where the nicks were, and focused as the blade glowed a dark red, the metal becoming part of the blade and fixing it.

"Obviously it holds sentimental value," Hiro stated quietly. He sighed and shook his head. "Thank you for returning this to me. And it can get you into the demon world, but there are other things we must get to go along with it first."

Rayven looked up at the two men. "Maybe I can help you find what you need. I am a demon hunter myself," she said as she stood up and put away her weapons. She walked towards the men, eyeing them intently. "Looks like I could help in some way."

Dante sighed, leaning back in his chair and closing his ice blue eyes. "Geez...the only thing I'm lookin' for is a way into the Devil Kingdom so I can stop this whole damn mess. I'll pick up my pay and be done with this crap. That's it. Although..." He trailed off, leaning forward in his chair again, opening his eyes. He peered at them pointedly. "I must warn you. None of you have been to the Devil Kingdom. Things there are much worse than things will ever be here. I warn you now: Don't go unless you're prepared to give up everything. Even your lives."

He leaned back in his chair, looking at them and waiting for their responses. It was true that things in the Devil Kingdom were infinately worse than in the Human Realm. Devils would be around every corner, and they would have to travel to the very center of the Kingdom, to the Citadel of Hell to confront Diabolus and his remaining Generals. This would be one hell of a tough mission to pull off. He would, of course, take on the King of Hell alone, having a personal score to settle with the Devil. He was sure the others would be content to battle the Generals, especially Hiro.

The Generals in the Devil Kingdom also posed a problem. The Human Realm limits the abilities of devils. In the Devil Kingdom, devils can move and fight at whatever level they wish without limitations. The Generals would be hundreds of times worse than the cat devil Dante had killed earlier at the mansion. These Devils would be hardcore, bloodthirsty, and dangerous. The mission could end disastrously if not executed perfectly.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	16. A Minor Setback

Dante's words sunk in, almost seeming to permeate the air as everyone stood still. Finally, Rayven put her hands on her hips and looked at Dante. "I'll keep going. It doesn't really matter anymore if I die. I have no family left. I want to fight."

Hiro was surprised by Rayven's consent to fight, but his face showed sorrow for her loss. He turned to Rayven, his eyes reciprocating her sorrow. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said sympathetically. All of the people in the room were orphans now, having no family to keep them tethered to the Human Realm. He looked at Dante next, a grin finding its way over his lips. I've been around the block a few times, Dante. I've seen a lot of demons and killed them all. I can take care of myself."

Dante looked at Anshin now after hearing the other two's willingness to fight. He looked at the little girl intently, wondering whether she would cast her well-being aside now that her caretaker was dead. "Well?" he asked with his eyes still intent on the small child. "Will you fight, or stay behind and wait for us to come back?"

"I came to this realm for a reason. I'm not going back there," the little girl said sternly. She crossed her arms and glared at the man who dare suggest such a thing. "They only kicked me out for leaving someone alive and you wish me to kill? I can kill just fine, I prefer not to," she growled at the man, acting like a rabid animal rather than a Capricorn. All the same, what she said was true. She could fight just about as good as her brother, maybe better, because she had been quite interested in fighting until she found out what it was used for. The shocking day had scared her into never wanting to fight again and from there on out, she had been pestered. "Don't suggest such a thing to me again," she growled knowing full well that the man hadn't known her past and was probably upset now.

Hiro turned toward Dante after Anshin finished her small fit of anger. "In regards to gathering the artifacts to enter the Devil Kingdom, our first target area will be Osaka. Any objections?" he asked raising his hand to show the others to do the same if they did, indeed, have any objections.

Dante looked at Hiro in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? I gotta go all the way to freakin' Japan to get to the Devil Kingdom? Yeah, right! I ain't doin' that! I'd rather have a devil shove a scythe up my ass!" he huffed, looking at Rebellion. Maybe the sword could work for him one more time. If the ritual was pulled off right, it could be the key to demonic realm. But it would involve a lot of conditions and items, as well, only one of which Dante really had. He cursed his luck, which he seemed to be doing a lot lately. He wondered where Trish and Lady had gone off to.

The two women always seemed to show up when there was something needing to be done. Both would be equally welcome, and would probably be willing to plunge to the depths with him to the Devil's Tower. He sighed. "I need a drink. I'll be at the Bull's Eye Bar if you need me." He was sure that with all the "customers" that the bar got, he could pick up some clue as to how one would go about invading the demonic realm. He picked Rebellion up, sheathing it on his back. He put Ebony and Ivory under his coat and went to the door. "You're welcome to come with me. I just need a drink." With that, the red-coated man strode through the shattered door and onto the street, his boots thudding on the concrete.

The others followed him out, and Dante sighed, the wind whipping at his coat. Anshin had stayed behind to watch the shop, not wanting any part of the drama at hand. The tails of his coat fluttered about in the current of the wind, the aroma of smoke and other things drifting into his nostrils. He neared the bar, stepping inside and looking around. He immediately spotted two familiar faces. He smirked to himself and strode over, his boots clacking over the hard wood floor. He sat next to Trish, who seemed to have been waiting for him for a while now. He waved over the bartender. "Strawberry Sundae." He leaned over, whispering into Trish's ear. "Have you found anything out about the Devil Kingdom, or have you just been wandering aimlessly? You know we need a way in so that we can stop this."

Trish sipped the last of her drink and grinned a little to herself as Dante whispered into her ear. Leaning toward him, she spoke quietly and lightly, teasing a little. "Well, you know me. I can't keep to one cause for too long before I get bored. Besides, I was getting paid some good money for taking out those other demons..." She trailed off as she realized her drink was now empty. She absently traced a finger around the rim of the glass, producing a light singing sound. Lowering her voice more, Trish continued seriously. "Honestly though, I haven't found anything out. Everything I go up against either dies too soon or escapes." She pouted slightly, obviously disappointed that some of her prey managed to escape.

Dante sighed. "I hear ya there." His eyes lingered on the blonde's face, the ice blue orbs soaking up her expression. His sundae arrived and he waved off the bartender with a gesture of thanks. He began to eat slowly, the icy goodness of the ice cream making his tongue tingle. The dessert was delicious, combining creamy and smooth flavor with the icy tingle of frozen yogurt. ­

The demonic presence seemed to surround them now, the infection having spread to an epidemic level. The only way to end the earth's infection now was to take out the source. He would most certainly need Trish and Lady for that. His mind drifted to Lady, wondering where she was.

"I wanna just get this whole thing over with," Dante said between bites. "The EOD Syndrome will infect the entire human realm if we don't stop it now. The infection is now spreading way too rapidly." He took another bite of the sundae, savoring its flavor before continuing. "We need to find a way into the Devil Kingdom so that we can finish this once and for all. That's where you and Lady come in. I figure with all of us together, we can find a way in." He looked sideways at the woman, returning the teasing stare. He normally didn't flirt, but today was a weird day anyway, so why not have a little fun? He smiled lightly. "Maybe we should go on a tandem mission sometime, then. Lots more fun with two people."

Rayven looked down to where Dante was sitting and saw a woman she didn't know. She hadn't really introduced herself to Dante yet, so she grabbed her drink and moved a few seats down to where she was next to them. "I should have introduced myself earlier. My name is Rayven," she said to Dante. She then took a long sip of her daiquiri.

"Ooh, a mission with you, Dante? That does sound fun," Trish laughed, lifting her empty drink and ordering another. She looked forward to seeing Lady again as well. They had had some good times. Her icy eyes flicked over to the woman who suddenly slid closer and introduced herself and the blonde nearly laughed to herself. Was that a bit of jealousy that she sensed? Why, the woman didn't even introduce herself to her. Amused by this new little woman, Trish nudged Dante with her shoulder. "Looks like you've got a new attachment already. Should I be jealous?" She grinned slightly and leaned over him, her hand out to the woman. "I'm Trish. You don't have to be too formal to this sugar-vacuum, he won't notice while he's eating."

Rayven reached out and shook Trish's hand and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Trish. I'm Rayven. I just came to ask about the EOD Syndrome," she said, turning back to her Daiquiri.

"Seems like everyone is interested in it now." Trish sighed, leaning back over Dante and returning to her drink. She was pleased when she heard another familiar voice. Swiveling around in her chair, the leather-clad female grinned at Lady. "Why, hello there. It's been a while, hasn't it?" She leaned back against the bar and glanced around before musing. "I feel like we're missing someone. Where is that 'Rose' that was here before when we all met up?"

Dante paused, swallowing his current bite and casting a look sideways at the women. Women would most definately be the death of him. He couldn't recall one instant in his life when he had had luck with them, either. He cursed his luck at being surrounded by them now, but shrugged it off. He looked at Rayven. "I see no need for formalities. It's nice to meet you. I assume you know who I am." His gaze shifted to Trish. "Sugar-vacuum? Please. I just like sweets. As for Rose...she's dead," he said slowly, going back to his sundae, taking another bite before suddenly turning back to the girl, his eyes flashing. "You may find out about the EOD Syndrome without me telling you a word."

He sensed a huge amount of demonic presence around the bar, and in glancing around, was relieved to find that besides the bartender, they were the only ones there. He smirked, his eyes flashing at the women as he got up, drawing Rebellion and looking through the windows. His suspicion had been confirmed. The infection had grown to an unseen level. A massive army of human puppets had gathered outside of the bar, armed and ready to be told to fight. He looked at the others. "Finish your drinks quick, this could get messy." He kicked open the door, charging.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	17. The War Begins

Dante stepped outside, a gruesome sight meeting his ice-blue eyes. Thousands, no, hundreds of thousands of infected humans lined the streets around the bar. Dante's eyes strayed to the skyline of the city, seeing a familiar figure battling demons. He nodded, returning his gaze to the massive army that stood before him, waiting for the command to attack.

_Hurry up with your business, Hiro. This won't be easy._ Dante rushed forward, yelling as he went towards the infected bodies, Rebellion raised high above his head. The humans stood still for a moment, then raised their weapons and began to move with a scream that shattered the air. Dante smirked, spinning through the bodies. Rebellion flashed through the air, slashing and ripping at the bodies as it passed by and through them. One of the humans landed a solid blow with a knife in his shoulder, causing Rebellion to land a few feet from him. Dante cursed, pulling Ebony and Ivory, opening fire in all directions. Bodies dropped all over, blood spilling to the ground. Dante looked around him, the bodies closing in. "This should be fun..." He yanked the knife from his shoulder and continued fighting.

Rayven followed after Dante and pulled her swords out, running through the crowds. The blades slashed effortlessly through the bodies, showering the air with blood and littering the streets with limbs and chunks of severed flesh. She turned and began to spin around in a circle, lifting the bodies into the air and slashing them to pieces. Blood rained from the heavens like tears, covering the ground and herself in a crimson rain. Rayven's hair had a red tint to it as she grinned sadistically. She took off in a different direction and noticed Hiro fighting in a different fight. "Hope you finish your fight soon, Hiro. We might need your help." she said as she began to slash again.

Trish put her glass down as she turned and looked at Lady. "Well then, dear friend. It looks like we get to battle together again. I hope you can keep up." With a wink, the leather clad woman slipped off the stool and stretched, pulling out her pistols. They felt good and heavy in her hands. Checking them calmly, Trish made sure they were fully loaded before putting them back away and strolling outside to where the battle was. Her icy gaze traveled around a moment before she grinned, the thrill of battle swirling up from her stomach to her chest and then head. "Well, this'll be grand." She dodged an oncoming attack and splayed her fingers wide, sending lightning zapping through the crowd of infected humans and making quite a nice mark on the ground. The smell of burnt and smoldering flesh permeated the air. Flexing her hand, the woman didn't bother to pay attention to Hiro and his quarrel. She had more fun things to do.

Lady smirked a bit at Trish's words. Of course she could keep up. She was actually looking forward to this. Moving forward and proceeding out of the bar, she was sure to take out ­

her pistols and ready them for the upcoming battle. She could see the others were already engaged. She moved off to the side a bit where she saw she could start taking some action and shot of a few rounds at the oncoming enemies, splattering the brains of a few EOD victims on a nearby wall.

Dante looked up, having shot down another few bodies. Blood spurted from the backs of their heads, their eyes centering, the milky pupils focusing on the bullet holes. He had heard Hiro calling out to him during the course of the battle. Something about an orb that could end the attack on the Hunters. He looked up and saw the orb nestled in the arms of one of the demons that Hiro was fighting. He couldn't help but smirk to himself, knowing a bit more than the man did. _Always thinking about things in the simplest manner. The orb isn't the true source. Sure, it can slow them down and make them easier to kill, but it won't stop them. We'll either have to make our way through them and go to the source, or just kill them all. And it would seem I just got an idea of how to get into the Devil Kingdom. I just need you to cooperate._

Dante looked at Hiro, yelling up to him. "Hiro, I need you to get that orb from them and throw it down to me. I've got an idea that could end everything, following a journey through the Devil Kingdom. Just get me that orb and we can end this whole thing. Make sure you take care of those two as well, okay? Don't let me down." He turned his attention back to the mob that was swarming in on him. He smirked, a red glow surrounding him as he leapt up into the air, spinning upside down and firing rapidly, his bullets now encased in demonic energy. Blood flew through the air like confetti, splattering the ground and his face. His eyes focused around him, looking for the others.

He spotted them, fighting hard. He couldn't help but smirk in spite of everything. This was the kind of teamwork they would need to be able to get out of the Devil Kingdom alive. If all went according to plan, they would be there very soon. They certainly couldn't kill all of the infected at once. They would have to go to the Devil Kingdom as soon as he got that orb. Then they would really have to be on their guard.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	18. A Way In

Rayven turned and looked for the others to make sure that they were okay. She turned back and began to fight again. Blood sprayed from the bodies as she felled them and covered her. A red aura began to form around her as her demonic powers began to take over her. The blades of her swords began to glow red and she ran through the crowds of humans rapidly. A red streak and blood spraying was all that was left when her swords quit glowing. The bodies fell behind her, with sickening thuds. She heard Dante yell to Hiro and she ran through the crowd to help Dante. He was getting swarmed, so she ran in to help so his plan would work. Her swords glistened as she ran. "I'll cover you, Dante," she said as she ran up next to him.

"Got it!" Hiro shouted as he snatched the orb from the devils. It pulsed in his gloved hand as he held it, looking at him opponents as they prepared a counterattack. A neon green aura surrounded Hiro as he closed his eyes and focused, his demonic pressure rising. He disappeared and reappeared, fleshy orb in hand. He no longer looked human. Like the devils, he was like a beast clad in a blue-colored armor, his claws glowing a brilliant green. He turned, and the demons dropped dead. "Too easy," Hiro said in a deep, beastly voice. "Dante!" Hiro leapt into the crowd and began cleaving through his enemies with a beastly rage.

He drew the two swords at his side, and slid the handles into notches in his gantlets. The blade in each multiplied into three blades, and then radiated a brilliant crimson red. Using his wrist blades, he sliced and stabbed his way to Dante. He got back to back with him, drew his double revolver pistols and began shooting bullets that left green traces. Enemies fell left and right with the might of the gunslingers. "Got the orb, and the first of the two items, now what?" he asked over all of the noise and commotion.

Rayven saw that Hiro had returned. She came up next to them, hoping to hear the next part of the plan. "Dante...What do we do now? We're getting swarmed!" She was pressed back next to the two gunslingers by the infected humans. Her blades were crossed and pressed back, soon they began to glow a bright red as her demonic energy flowed into them. Suddenly, the infected humans were ripped to shreds as she slashed down on top of them. A red streak about sixty feet long erupted from the swords, destroying everything in their path. More of the infected humans started flowing in, quickly filling in the gap.

Static lightning crackled around Trish as she fought, a small smirk quirking up the side of her mouth at the simplicity of creatures that were taken over by the virus. They weren't human anymore, only targets for lightning, blades, and bullets. Pulling out her pistols in a flash, she began to let loose, allowing the bullets to be fired with the lightning that she controlled. The effect was quite amusing, leaving nothing but ash behind. Well, perhaps it wasn't amusing, but it certainly was interesting. The woman leapt above the horde when they got too close for comfort, landing above on a rooftop and firing relentlessly into the crowd of infected humans below. She didn't pay too much attention to the group and what they were doing, but if she saw that one was getting a little swarmed, she was sure to pick off a few for them. When her bullets ran out, she went back to good old fashioned powers. In the case of all those milling creatures, it was more effective, anyway.

Lady kept at the fighting she was doing with the enemies that preoccupied her. There seemed to be a vast amount of the humans here. She briefly wondered how the others were doing and spared a glance in everyone's direction. It looked like they were all handling themselves well enough. If need be, she did see herself in a situation to help one of the others. That was once she cleared a path for herself, but she thought that to be a fairly easy task. Shooting off a few more rounds and quickly having reload her guns once they ran out, she wondered if this would come to an end anytime soon before they proceeded to move on towards whatever came next.

Dante looked from person to person, seeing Trish and Lady still having their fun. It seemed almost a shame to interrupt them, but this needed to end. He took the orb, Hiro's amulet, and the locket from the demon General. He ignored Hiro's protests about the amulet and locket, revealing his own amulet. The same amulet that had provided the means to reach his father's sword, the Force Edge.

He held all four items closely together, a red glow coming from them. He nodded, focusing his own energy as unnatural lightning began to flash in the sky above them. The red lightning began to swirl, and a vortex opened in the dark blue sky. Dante's eyes flashed open. He looked to Trish and Lady, calling to them to go into the vortex with Hiro and Rayven before him. He had to maintain it for them before he could enter it. The orb's energy pulsed, a large bolt of lightning cleaving through hundreds of the infected humans.

Dante looked at the others. "It's now or never! Jump in, and don't look back!" He motioned for Lady and Trish to stop what they were doing and enter the vortex to the Devil Kingdom. It had all come down to this. With the human world under siege and on the verge of defeat, it meant that going to the Devil Kingdom was the only way to end the infection. The time to end everything was upon them.

Hiro nodded. He looked at Dante briefly. "You better not die, Dante. We better both live through this to tell about it in all the bars." He gave Dante a quick nod, then without a second thought, dove in. The portal seemed to closed around him slightly, then reopen for the next person.

Rayven followed Hiro's lead and jumped after him. The portal seemed to swallow her, as well. The portal hung in mid-air next to Dante like an angry red eye. Lightning still rippled from the edges of the portal, slashing through a group of infected humans occasionally, splattering their blood over the others around them and littering the ground with severed limbs.

Trish glanced over, noting what was going on. She sent another streak of lightning out, watching in mild amusement as the bodies flew into the air only to be disintegrated. Using her agility and grace, the woman leapt from her spot and landed near Dante, another streak of lightning rippling out around her to get rid of the creatures that had swarmed over as soon as she had landed. "Be sure not to get too caught up in what you're doing, Dante," she said as she walked by him. She winked and jumped into the air, dodging another attack before the vortex swallowed her leather-clad figure.

Lady let off a few more shots after catching what Dante had said. She began to clear a path towards her new destination now, where everyone else had gone. Bodies convulsed as bullets made grisly impacts with them as she walked by. Blood flew through the air in showers as the bodies fell. She was quick to reach her destination. As she made it up to the portal, she spared a glance back towards Dante before looking back to the portal and going through. She considered commenting or saying something, but she would see him again on the other side, so if she had anything to say she would say it then. She was curious as to what would happen now after she had made her way into the portal.

Dante smirked, seeing that everyone was in the portal now. He also saw that all the humans were swarming him now, and he waved good-bye to them before firing off a few parting shots and leaping in as well. The vortex sealed around him, the four objects appearing in empty space in front of him. He grabbed them, the coldness of the inter-dimensional tunnel closing in on him now. He shoved the objects into his coat pocket, letting the Demon Realm rush towards him faster and faster. A dim light came into view as he flew through space, and he readied himself for whatever was on the other side of the tunnel.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	19. The Gatekeeper's Test

The vortex sealed behind Dante, the familiar landscape of the Devil Kingdom greeting his eyes. He looked at the labyrinth-style surroundings, walking over to one of the walls and tracing it with his finger. He chuckled to himself, pulling Rebellion out and striking the wall with it. It and the other walls fell, breaking the illusion and revealing the true landscape of the Devil Kingdom.

An angry red sky loomed above them, crackling with red lightning. A swirling vortex raged in the center of it, much like the one that they had just entered. Ancient buildings stood, war-torn and stoic, against the angry landscape. A river of what appeared to be blood ran on both sides of the path that they stood on. Dante looked around, laughing a bit. He outstretched his arms, looking at the others. "Home, sweet home." He took off at a slow stride, remembering where the portal dropped them. The Gates wouldn't be very far away from where they were now. Once they passed the gates, there really was no turning back.

Hiro was surpirsed by the shattering of the illusion. He blinked, glancing around. "So this is the Devil Kingdom." He took a place behind Dante, motioning for the others to do so as well. This place held surprises, none of them pleasant. They would have to stick together or perish one by one.

Rayven followed cautiously. Not knowing what to expect, she kept her swords at the ready, eyes searching all around. This place seemed familiar to her, like a long lost home. She looked around anxiously. "Why does it feel like I know this place? It seems so...familiar."

Trish had easily landed on the other side of the portal and stood in one swift moment. At a quick glance, she took in the sight of the 'labyrinth' shattering, and shook her head. The blonde woman looked around with a small smile creeping across her face in amusement. "Hmm, lovely place this is, Dante. But I think it's missing something..." Trotting after him, she suggested, "Perhaps a bit of the color red?" She chuckled to herself, glancing back at the group before looking ahead and then around them. Dramatic, wasn't it? The scenery seemed to beg to be compared to a cheesy novel about over-conceived places and the thoughts of about a thousand emo children as they tried to come up with a 'deep' way of expressing their pain and where they believed they came from.

Dante continued to lead the small group forward along a long, narrow path of what seemed to be a hybrid material of stone and bone. Skull and bone fragments stuck up from the stone, proving his assumption to be true. The angry sky swirled overhead with fury, red lightning crackling across it. Dante smirked, feeling right at home with his surroundings. Soon they would be crossing a point of no return, facing demonic hordes like nothing they had ever seen before. They would be taking on the entire Dark Army. He couldn't wait.

He walked forward, a colossal form breaking the skyline ahead of them. His eyes glinted with excitement, and he took off at breakneck speed towards it. The form was an enormous wall, centuries old, with stress marks and cracks all over it. In the center of it, making up the lock, was a gigantic demon embedded in the wall. The wall went out to the sides, stretching on for eternity. Literally never ending in length, and miles high into the air with gigantic bone spikes jutting from the top of it.

The Watcher, the gigantic demon fashioned into a lock by the Demon Emperor Mundus, rested in the middle of the Gates. Six seals surrounded it, panels for the demon to channel its power into to open the Gates for anyone or anything wishing to go through them. The wall was covered with enormous amounts of decor. Symbols marred its surface, most of them worn from erosion. The Watcher came into focus as Dante neared, a gigantic demon that appeared as a giant eye in the center of the Gates. The giant crimson iris slid in Dante's direction and watched as he approached.

Lady followed along with the others, simply looking here and there as they went noticing what was here and there. It really wasn't much to look at. She would think no one around here could care much for the scenery if it looked like this, but then again, she did have an idea of what they were dealing with here so she thought that would be more than obvious. She had looked over the others as they went and cast her gaze on Trish as she had overheard her speak. She didn't think to say anything at the moment, though.

There really didn't appear to be much going on or much to comment on that wasn't obvious but then she realized that would be speaking too soon. It seemed there was something up ahead. She could see what was going on from where she was. There was something quite large ahead. She wasn't sure what was going to happen now, or maybe she had some idea, but she could see something was bound to happen. However, she still didn't think to comment. She was simply ready for whatever came her way.

Rayven walked forward as she pulled her swords out. "Well, is anyone going to do anything but stare?" Her aura began to surround her and she ran forward. She would cleave through the thing and bust through to the Devil Kingdom herself, since no one else seemed to give a damn.

Dante laughed, gripping the girl's shoulder and halting her advance. "Easy, killer. You gotta be patient with stuff like this. Fighting will come soon enough. For now, just let me go through the motions with this thing, eh?" He winked at her, moving past her and coming to rest in front of the Gates. He needed to wait until everyone was gathered around him before he could proceed "through the motions", as he had put it.

The giant crimson eye looked him over, sizing him and the girl up, remaining silent. It would wait until all those who wished to enter gathered in front of it. It could hear very well, knowing from Dante's words that there were more to come. The walls stood resolutely, still and stoic. The giant structure stood out against the angry skyline, ready to repel all who wished to enter the Devil Kingdom.

Hiro stepped forward next to Dante. "One of Mundus's creations, huh?" He looked at the Gates. "I'm beginning to see why Anshin left." He looked at the others, everyone was present. He then looked at Dante, giving him a silent nod. He was interested to see what kind of ritual was involved to open the Gates of Hell.

Strolling forward easily, Trish came to a halt in front of the Gates with everyone else. She rested her weight on one leg, her body the image of relaxed wariness, like a panther waiting to spring. Running her hand through her hair, the woman let it flutter down along her back again before slanting her gaze down one side of the wall, then the other. A smile curled over her lips and she chuckled softly. There was no need to speak. Placing a hand on her hip, Trish let her ice blue eyes fall on each of her current companions, weighing what she knew about them with what she didn't. It was a bit of an interesting group, and it seemed that too many were too eager to get started. Life was too short to go rushing into battle, and besides, when someone rushed, they tended to make more mistakes. So she waited, muscles coiled and ready to spring, but with an outward temperance of patience and a glimmer of humor in her eyes.

Dante nodded back to Hiro, realizing that the time had come. He looked into the gigantic eye, folding his arms over his chest. Rumbling came from the gargantuan wall as the eye focused on the small group that had assembled before it. The Watcher eyed them with regard, looking at Dante and Trish in particular. A deep, gravelly voice came from nowhere, inquiring of Dante. "What dost thou seeketh here?"

Dante sighed, shaking his head and staring back into the eye. "Ain't it obvious? We want through! Just let us through, huh? No need for violence. We just came to take in the sights. Whaddya say?" Dante waited for the answer, knowing full well there would have to be a fight. The Gates worked in two ways. First, the approacher's intentions would have to be revealed, and second, the approacher would have to prove himself worthy of entry into the Devil Kingdom.

The Watcher seemed to nod, even though it was just an eye suspended in a wall. "Very well. So be it. Let the test begin." The walls rumbled, dark vapors appearing around the group and surrounding them. Dante laughed and got ready. "Let's prove that we're Devil Kingdom material, eh?" Demons appeared in vast numbers, ready to see if the new arrivals were worthy of entry. Dante held up a hand, signaling that they should all begin the attack on his mark.

Hiro drew both of his swords and took an odd ready stance. He held one just over his head, the other's hilt was facing the direction Hiro was looking in, the blade covering the middle of his torso and part of his back. His eyes intensified as he stared at the devils who seemed to be staring at them so intently. He looked back to Dante, seeing that the hand was still held high.

Rayven raised her swords as they began to glow from her aura. She waited for Dante's signal to attack as well, her eyes also locking with the devils in front of them. She tisked, wishing that Dante would go ahead and let them attack. He seemed to be waiting for something, and she trusted his judgment.

Lady had her gaze set upon the main direction they were to be heading in. She had been silent as she had watched the exchange of words. So it seemed they would be going on with this and she wasn't disappointed when she saw the demons that had made an appearance. She was already taking out her guns to prepare for the fight obviously about to come. She briefly looked over the others before looking back towards the surrounding enemies they had to deal with now.

Hiro noticed something was wrong. The gates were open to the point where a mid-sized demon could slip through, yet not one emerged. "Something's wrong," he said lightly. He released his stance and and let his senses expand. It was then that he realized that the lines of a glyph were slowly being etched on the floor. "Son of a bitch!" Hiro spun his blades quickly and sheathed them, he then bit his thumb, causing a small blood flow to trickle down. He then quickly drew an intricate circle, with a mix of Japanese Kanji and several different runes. He began to chant softly under his breath, hurrying to finish first. Hiro's worry was obvious now. "This is gonna be close!" he said as he slammed his hand to the ground.

Rayven spun around to look at Hiro. "Whats wrong?!" she asked frantically. She began running towards him to see what was happening. There was no room for weakness in this situation. Everything was crucial and this put a hole in their defenses.

A large circle appeared around the group of demon hunters, covering the ground underneath their feet. It was covered in many things, strange designs, kanji, runes and strange warped symbols. The Glyph slowly disappeared. Hiro wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "I made it," he said calmly as he slowly started to rise from his crouching position. Another circle suddenly appeared underneath him, crippling him. "No!" Hiro fell to one knee after the initial shock, lightning coursed, flickering back and forth around his body. "Dammit... A double-layered circle." He tried to move, but was completely helpless.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	20. Through the Gates

Dante's head snapped around, his eyes landing on Hiro as he cursed and dropped his hand. This would complicate things a bit having him unable to move. He quickly stepped over in front of his fallen friend, Rebellion in his hands. The demons surged forward, bloodlust painted on their gaunt faces. They were lesser demons, much like Dante had fought with Valen, but in vast numbers like this, they could prove difficult to defeat. Dante looked back at Hiro for a moment, smirking. "Hang tight, old friend." He spun around, catching a devil in the face with Rebellion's blade, severing the top of its head and spraying a mix of blackish-red blood and decaying brain matter through the air and felling it at the same time.

Hearing the scream of their fallen comrade, four more demons came rushing at Dante and he jammed Rebellion into the ground in front of him, pulling out Ebony and Ivory and firing rapidly at the advancing devils. Blood sprayed from bullet wounds and the devils faltered in their advance, lifting their heads and howling. Dante laughed and stopped firing, his guns glowing a slightly reddish tint. He fired, energetically charged bullets flying through the devils and ripping them to bloody shreds. He looked at Hiro again, smirking. "Be glad I'm here, old friend. Or you just might have been royally screwed."

Hiro gave a pathetic chuckle. "You have no idea how dumb I feel." He said, his face turning to an angry scowl. He closed his eyes and tried to focus. He created a swirl of demonic energy and spun it opposite of the energy current that bound him to his current position. "Sai!" Hiro shouted. There was a small burst of energy, and the lightning disappeared for a moment. "Got it." He said to himself as he smiled. He tried to get up but was instantly thrown to the ground and the lightning returned. "DAMN IT ALL!" The situation seemd to get worse as the seconds ticked by.

Rayven looked off into the distance while Dante was trying to help Hiro. She was looking for the source of the energy surrounding Hiro. She searched the horizon and finally saw a small flicker of energy. She immediately recognized her nemesis, a demon that called itself Blashphemy. Identifying that as the source of Hiro's capture, her eyes narrowed, her gaze focusing on the light. Feeling the demonic energy surge through her body and settling into her legs, running felt easier than usual. Within seconds, she had reached the target that was nearly half a mile away. The demon looked up in surprise at her and his eyes flashed with the brilliance of the morning sky, a bluish gold, while his ripped and festered wings of flesh silently perched themselves on his back. In his hand was a goblet of some kind, with a red liquid in the cup.

The monster turned to Rayven and smiled. "Ahhhh, the blood of angels... always creates the most powerful magics, don't you agree?" Rayven narrowed her eyes more at him. She unsheathed her swords and prepared to attack her enemy at the first chance. Blasphemy slowly arched his back, releasing a bone chilling howl into the night. "Can't you just taste the despair in the night?! God...the smell of blood and entrails...it's almost intoxicating." He began to slowly place the goblet on the ground, watching Rayven the whole time. "You are such a vile creature!" Rayven said as she lunged at his throat with her reverse blades. Blasphemy gracefully avoided one sword, catching the tip of the other in between his teeth. "Awww. So close." He bit down hard on the tip, cracking off the sharp point. "Come. I want you to show me the demonic side of yourself. If you don't, I'll be drinking your blood shortly!"

Rayven jerked back her swords and inspected the blade. "Dammit!" She swung her sword at him again, going for his stomach this time. In the blink of an eye, he was behind Rayven, her blades swinging through thin air. "I wasn't playing with you, little girl," he whispered hotly in her ear. "There are wolves in this part of the forest." He slowly sank his fingers into her stomach on both sides, letting the blood cover his hands. "GET SERIOUS!" She dropped her blades and grabbed at his arms trying to get him to let go of her. The demon smiled with glee as the scent of her blood hit his nostrils. "Hmmm...this is almost too easy. Tell ya what, kid." He pulled his hands out of her body, letting her falter to the ground. "I'll turn my back, and I'll let you get a free shot. Sound good?" Rayven slowly turned toward him as he put his back to her. She slowly stood up and almost fell to the ground from the pain in her sides. Her blood poured out of her at each step she took towards him. Her right foot shot out and aimed at his right side. He caught her leg easily. "Come now... that really can't be all you ha..." Her other foot swung in hard from the left, a blade sinking into Blasphemy's side.

He reeled from the blow and took a few steps back, letting loose an insane howl of a laugh. "Little girl, you're growing up so fast..." He held his hand in front of him, as lightning began surging inbetween his fingers. "Let's begin." Immediately, a surge of electricity flashed from his hands toward Rayven. She dodged it barely, and continued moving as the next bolt hurtled toward her. _Damn it... I can't get an attack in if he's moving this fast. I have to think of something..._ She stopped dead in her tracks. An idea had come to fruition. She let the next bolt hit her. When it struck her, her body began violently shaking, sending her to her hands and knees. She bit back screams of agony.

"Hmmm, surely this can't be all..." spoke Blasphemy slowly walking up to her. "I honestly thought that you'd give me so much more..." He knelt down beside her. The shock in his eyes flashed for an instance, replaced by a look of annoyance. He looked down at the arm planted firmly through his stomach. Rayven looked up, her eyes flashing red, a smile on her face. "I'm not some child to be pushed around by the likes of you." Blasphemy smiled and pulled himself off of her arm. "I concede defeat to you today, child." He smiled and dumped the goblet on the ground, releasing the spell, along with Hiro. "I'll return when you're grown up." He began to walk away, suddenly, teleporting to an unknown location. Rayven's demonic power slowly went away as she passed out from the lack of blood.

Realizing where Rayven had relocated to, Hiro felt the strain of his bonds slowly release. He got back on his two feet, his arms crossed, slowly pushing away from his torso. "Thanks, Rayven," he said softly to himself. He closed his eyes and allowed his demonic power to surge through him. A neon yellow lightning ran counter-current through the bind. "Aaaahh..." Hiro's eyes burst open, revealing gold-colored eyes. "Huah!" With a large neon yellow aura surrounding him, the lightning dissipated. Hiro's breath was heavy for a second, but he quickly regained it. He drew his two swords, looked in Raven's current direction, and scanned the demons that separated him from his friend in need. His frustrated face quickly lightened to a smile. But this wasn't a smile of happiness, more like the smile of a mass murderer ready to do just that. Hiro scoffed and chuckled as he slammed Tsukuyomi to the ground. The fairly large amount of demons standing in front of him either collapsed from the intense gravity of the attack, or returned to their original format, pure sand. Hiro, similar to Rayven a few moments before, charged much demonic energy into his legs, generating speed like a freight train. He arrived to see his collapsed companion, bleeding from the wound the mysterious warrior was so kind to grant. Hiro reached into his cape and pulled out a bizzare looking fruit. He pulled Rayven's head back a little bit and squashed the fruit, releasing the juice into Rayven's system. "This will close your wounds and restore most of the blood loss, but you're going to have some nice scars later," Hiro said sympathetically.

"Ah, now this is more like it," mused Trish as she watched everything going on around her. It was when all hell started to break loose that she lost her bored expression and started to have fun. Things weren't right with nothing happening. She thrust her hip out and rested her weight on one leg as a smirk quirked up the corner of her lips. A devilish flash went through her eyes, along with amusement, as she saw the hordes of weaker demons surging forward, nearly clamoring over one another to get at them. She placed her hands on the handles of her guns and flipped them out, twirling them for a moment in her hands before straightening her arms and pointing them point blank into the mouth of a creature that got too close. "Why, hello there." She smiled saucily and pulled the trigger, leaping out of the way before the blood and guts splattered all over her hair and outfit. It would be gruesome for that to happen. It wasn't seconds later before she was standing atop a pile of demons, her mind more occupied with actually having something to do rather than worrying about the others. She was certain they could care for themselves, just as she could care for herself. Blue lightning streaked the area around her as she continually fired off her guns. Demons flew back as she laughed, enjoying herself perhaps too much as she blew away the brains of the demons that thought her an easy kill.

Lady observed things for the most part, but she wasn't completely left out. It would have been a shame to miss this kind of action. She took out her nine millimeter pistol and held it prepared to fire at the demons who dared to come at her. So much seemed to be going on. It was hard to miss, although her attention had come to set on the demons that came her way. She didn't have to wait long before her gun went off. Right at a demon who chose to come at her regardless of the situation. Dual colored orbs stared out with a challenging look in them. She would surely take down any demons that came her way but she had no intention of charging foolishly into the situation. The last thing she wanted to do was make a mistake in a place like this. She was only human, unlike most of the others. A mistake for her could be fatal. She could imagine that things wouldn't bode so well for her or anyone else if some foolish mistake was made. But then again, wasn't that always the case? Of course, her attention was also on the others to see what was going on. The last thing she wanted was to lose a comrade.

Dante glanced over his shoulder as another demon was slashed to bits by Rebellion. He saw that Hiro had gotten free, but then saw that Rayven was down. Hiro seemed to have the situation under control, so he turned back to what he was doing, quickly moving out of the way of a descending scythe, countering with Rebellion and decapitating the foolish devil.

The numbers were thinning now, the devils having stopped coming to fight. They were dropping like flies, the Hunters proving far too strong for them. Dante surged through the small crowds, his sword seeming to dance through the bodies, blood flowing like ribbons to the ground. The demons fell, and he stood, breathing heavily. The fight had been a tiresome one, having taken quite a while to get through. He looked to the others, making sure they were okay. He saw that they were, and approached the Gatekeeper again.

The giant crimson iris slid his way again, and the booming voice echoed around the small platform that they stood on. "Ye hath proven thyselves worthy to enter this Kingdom. Enter now, or leave. Choose thy path."

Dante looked at the others, the smirk finding its way back to his lips. "Well, we sure as hell aren't turning back after all that! We gotta move, guys. We'll rest for a bit after we pass the Gates."

Hiro looked down at his semi-concious comrade, and smirked. "We best be going, Rayven." He extended his hand toward her. "It's time to kick some serious devil ass!"

Rayven took his hand and stood up. "Thank you," she said as she nodded at him. She started walking back to the gate with Hiro at her side. Trish and Lady, having finished their fights respectively, nodded to each other and followed.

Dante watched as the others passed through the open Gates, the giant crimson iris watching as they went by. He went in after Trish and Lady, bringing up the rear of this small procession into the Devil Kingdom. He looked around the all-too familiar landscape greeting his eyes once more. A harsh landscape greeted them, all a reddish tint in appearance. The ground seemed to be a composite of stone and flesh, and pulsed repugnantly. Bones jutted from the ground in odd places, almost making it seem as if the ground was made from many decomposed bodies.

Battle-scarred structures resembling buildings stood in opposition of the fierce sky overhead, the swirling vortex still raging above them. The structures were actually the towers of the first Devil City, Grikkn Shrifr, or "Devil's Nest" in the ancient language of the Kingdom. Through this city, there was a straight path to the Devil's Citadel. The path would, of course, be filled with powerful devils for them to fight, but that was the only way to end everything. The central tower in the city was where they needed to go first, housing a Demon General in the Dark Army.

The buildings were worn, marks and damaged areas marring their surfaces. Ornate markings of the ancient devil language circled them, possibly incantations for a greater purpose. They were dark, gray, and dismal against the red world that they inhabited, and Dante simply sighed. He crossed his arms, wondering what the others would think of this suicide mission once he told them the plan. A loud sound issued from behind them, signaling that the Gates had closed.

Where they were now was a hill that overlooked Grikkn Shrifr, and Dante sat and motioned for the others to gather around him. They needed to discuss his strategy so that they could all make it through this alive. Staying alive would be the biggest problem with this mission, the insurmountable odds stacking up and making Dante just a bit skeptical as to whether or not this would be his last mission.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	21. Grikkn Shrifr and the Guardians of Sigma

Hiro knew Dante all too well, not only from working with him, but from fighting him. He gave a small scoff. "Dante, don't let even the slightest amount of doubt enter your mind." He slowly opened his eyes. "If you let that shadow consume you even slightly, then your worst fear will come to be. You are the reason why Mundus doesn't exist on any plane. And besides, with powerful allies like these, there's no way you'll lose. So loosen up, will ya? You're no good to anyone if there's doubt." He stopped to let his words sink in. He knew his words wouldn't be for nothing.

Dante nodded, confidence as well as his smirk returning to him. He saw a skeleton lying in a spot that looked good to sit, and he kicked it, sending it down the hill. He sat, and looked around. He saw that they were all gathered around him now, and he cleared his throat. "As you all know, there's no turning back from this point. We're here now, and we all have to do our part to make sure this mission is a complete success and we can all go home alive." He paused, looking around to make sure everything was clear before continuing. "Through that city is the Devil's Citadel, the home of the Dark Emperor of Hell. I will fight him alone, as there will be Generals for you to defeat. Each of you. These Generals are quite possibly the strongest devils your eyes will ever behold. I'm going to warn you now: some of us may not make it out of this alive."

He took a breath and continued. "I won't allow interference against Diabolus. I have a personal score to settle, like with Salem. But enough about what will happen later. We need to focus on getting through this city alive. There will be powerful devils around every corner. In order to get through, we'll have to defeat the Demon General in the central tower. Its death will unseal the area and allow us to pass through. Is everyone clear on the plan, then? Any questions?" He waited, seeing if they all understood. The plan needed to go perfectly, or someone would surely die. As soon as everyone was clear on the plan, they could move on into Grikkn Shrifr.

Rayven stood and thought for a moment about what Dante had told them. She began to think of the demon she had fought not too long ago. Blasphemy must be a Demon General to be as powerful as he was and she needed to settle the score with him. "Dante, can we choose which Generals we want to go after? 'Cause if we can...I need to settle a score." Her eyes began to change with the demonic power coursing through her as she thought of the demon that had almost destroyed her. She looked down and then quickly back up at Dante with her red eyes. "I want Blasphemy." A maniacal grin crossed her lips.

Hiro was caught slightly off guard by Rayven's sudden angry conviction. "Rayven, I understand your feelings better than anyone, but please calm down. You were bested last time because you couldn't control your anger." He did remember that it was because of her actions that he was alive. He waited a moment, then said, "If we have the option of choosing, It doesn't matter who I face as long as I get to face Sigma afterwards." His words granted quite a lot of freedom toward the others. Like Rayven, he had a score to settle, but his score was with Sigma and his underlings. "The two Grand Generals, Sigma and Diablous, are the most powerful demons at the moment. Sigma destroyed my family, and now I will destroy him and everything he stands for. That's all, whatever you plan on doing is fine by me."

Dante looked from Rayven to Hiro, and nodded hesitantly. He had to grant the others the same liberties as himself. And if he was going to fight Diabolus alone with no interference from them, he had to let them have their own targets. Sigma had killed Hiro's entire family, including his father, Desmond. There was an understandable score to settle there.

He knew nothing of Rayven's score, but didn't bother to ask. All he needed to know was that all of the Generals would meet their ends. And that would leave him the grand adversary: Diabolus. He was happy to give up fighting Sigma to Hiro, seeing as the Demon General was below the Dark Emperor. It seemed that everyone was coming to an agreement, seeing that Trish and Lady were silent. He nodded, and stood up, as he had been sitting.

He looked at the others, nodding briefly before setting off down the hill. He expected the others to follow, and didn't bother to break his stride. He wanted to end this so he could go back to the shop. As he walked, his thoughts drifted to Anshin, and he wondered what he would do with her after this was all over. The small girl would surely want to get away from the man that had so quickly slain her brother. His thoughts here interrupted, however, when he arrived at the gates of the devil city. His eyes narrowed, his fists tightening. Three upside-down crosses stood on the city walls around the gates, three mangled bodies hanging upside down on them.

His eyes looked from one face to the next, his anger growing with each recognized comrade. On the far left, Valen's bloody face looked back at him, one eye missing, the other opened wide in a look of surprise and terror. Claw marks and scythe wounds marred his corpse, his clothes and skin dyed red with his blood.

His eyes shifted to the right, and the center cross caught his eyes. Enyo's lifeless body hung there, her body a bit more intact than Valen's. Both eyes were there, both open in a look of defiant resolve. Her arms were outstretched, her wrists and palms nailed on the dark metal cross. Her blood had run the entire length of the cross, from her feet to the ground. The sites in which the nails had entered had ripped flesh around them, showing that she had struggled immensely.

Dante tore his eyes away from Enyo, looking at the final cross. Naoki hung on the cross, his head severed and gone. Blood pooled on the ground under the open neck. The only clue that it had been Naoki was the small handle of a flame whip that rested on the ground next to the cross.

Dante turned to the others. "This is the kind of fate that awaits anyone who backs down or falters. Anyone who is captured and not killed will meet the same end, if not a worse one." He ground his teeth and let his fists uncoil. He continued into Grikkn Shrifr.

Rayven walked forward next to Dante, staring at their fallen comrades. She looked back to see Dante walking into the city. She followed directly after him, her right hand staying close to her remaining sword. The other one had been broken by Blasphemy in her last fight. Her demonic energy surged into her again as she was prepared for anything. A red glow was around her eyes and right hand. She had to end Blasphemy's life here. Her mother had given her life to stop Blasphemy from killing her when she was a child, but she had never known why he wanted her dead. Maybe it was her demon blood, as she never known her dad and only known her mother for a very short time, and her mother had been a human. Maybe, she thought, Dante could help her figure out who her father was. She let the memories drift away as she recalled herself to reality. She looked at the back of Dante's head as she walked behind him. "Thanks, Dante," she said quietly. He had given her a chance to get revenge for her mother.

Hiro stopped at the crosses for a only a moment. He gazed upward to see his fellow hunters slain. He closed his eyes and bowed his head. He stood for a moment in utter silence. There was no need to speak, his mourning over the losses of these fine hunters was quite obvious.

"So this is is the kind of fate, huh?" Trish slowly meandered up to the dead bodies and studied them, circling her arms around herself. It was a pretty gruesome death, she wasn't about to deny that, but she commended the demons on their use of creativity since each had suffered a different death from the other. A wry grin quirked its way over her mouth as she thought about pitying the creatures and then threw the thought away. They weren't the types to want to be pitied, that would be certain. Perhaps, she thought as she turned her eyes to the city they would be entering soon, it was the demons inside that she should pity? Brushing her fingers through her hair to comb out the blood and gore that might have already fallen in there, the woman deftly stepped away from the bodies and followed Dante into the city, leaving them behind along with any thoughts of turning back.

Dante continued forward, his rage growing with each step. The bodies lingered in his mind, their faces crying out for justice. They were in the city now, and nothing stirred. The demonic presence was overwhelming, but there were no devils to be seen.

He halted the small procession, his eyes scanning the horizon that was marred by the colossal tower in the center of the city. That tower was their destination, their only objective in Grikkn Shrifr. A small layer of dust seemed to rise, but nothing came of it. Nerves seemed to be the weapon the devils planned to use against the Hunters now instead of direct combat. The silence in the city was deafening, the only sounds to be heard were footsteps and small intakes of breath.

The others were surely as bothered by the change of tactics as he was, which meant that things would continuously change to try and catch them off guard. If they got careless and it worked, things would take a turn for the definite worse. He shook the pessimistic thoughts from his head and continued, rounding a corner onto what looked like a western-style street. Clawed tracks marred the dirt path, and Dante stopped. He smirked and pulled out Ebony and Ivory, holding them at his hips, as if they were holstered.

Small distortions appeared in front of them, a large clawed hand appearing, followed by the cloaked form of a Faust. The devil peered at him through red eyes underneath the "hat" of smoke that sat upon its repulsive head. It seemed to glare at him, its claws resting where its hips would be. The smoky cloak billowed around its form, concealing the coward hidden within.

Dante cocked his head to the side, staring down his opponent. The devil seemed to share his enthusiasm for the small game they were playing. "So, three paces, turn and draw, then?" Dante said with a grin. The devil's expression remained impassive, and it lunged, sending five razor-sharp claws at Dante, who rolled forward, firing three shots and destroying the demon. He stood, continuing the march forward. The tower was close now.

Hiro could sense Dante's rage. He didn't blame him, though. He stopped for a second as the ground gave off light vibrations. "From the rear, then?" Neon yellow energy pulsed from Hiro's arm. He turned and thrust his arm in a slashing motion. A sphere of energy shot out and struck a medium- sized demon that resembled a mole. The demon died instantly as it disintegrated from the intense energy. Hiro drew his blade and stopped the claws with a single circular motion of his sword. He continued his stride right after Dante finished firing his pistols, sheathing his sword. "Not impressed so far," he said as he shook his head slightly.

Rayven followed closely behind Dante as they approached the tower. She pulled her machine guns out and held them, ready to fire at whatever came. "This looks like something from a western movie." She went to the right side of Dante and watched his right side. A demon came out of an alley and jumped at her. She shot it through the head quickly, spraying decaying brain matter and blood over the dirt. She continued her walk and the closer she got to the tower, the heavier the demon presence became.

Dante continued leading the group forward toward the massive tower, suddenly halting as the path split into a fork. Dante looked one way and then the next, scratching his stubbled chin and thinking. All of a sudden, the demonic presence rose to an unheard of level, two incredible auras appearing, one down each path. Hiro stood next to Dante, feeling the same energy and anticipating the fight to come.

Demonic shouts and growls permeated the air from the direction of the two paths, and Dante looked at Hiro, crossing his arms and smirking. "Whaddya say we make this interesting? Two incredibly strong demon Captains under Sigma, five of us. Why not split into two teams, eh? Have some fun?"

Hiro thought a moment and grinned, nodding. "Let's do it." He pointed to each path momentarily, picking which one he wanted. He settled on the path to the left and looked at Dante. "I chose which path I wanted, so why not pick your team first?"

Dante looked at him for a moment, then at the others. He nodded. "I'll take Lady and Trish. You can take Rayven." He nodded and elbowed Hiro briefly, winking. He waited for Lady and Trish to stand alongside him, and the two teams split, going down their chosen paths. Halfway down the path with Lady and Trish, the demonic presence became crippling and the form of a gigantic demon appeared in front of the group.

Ten horns jutted from its skull, and three mouths lined with razor-sharp teeth grinned at the group, four dead-white eyes staring at them blankly. The creature stood on six gigantic back legs with claws jutting from them and sinking into the dirt. Four giant arms were poised to rip the group to shreds. "I am a Guardian of Sigma. There are two of us, my brother should be meeting your friends shortly, and then you shall be no more, Devil Hunter. Prepare to die!"

Reddish portals opened and lesser demons flooded in, separating Dante from Trish and Lady. He looked at the devil and smirked, Rebellion out and ready, resting on his shoulder. "Ya know, you remind me of a kitty I skewered not too long ago. Sure ya wanna go through with this?" The demon roared and the battle began.

Back where Hiro and Rayven were, the brother of the Guardian stared at Hiro, identical in appearance with his brother. The demon said nothing, but waved one of its arms and demons flooded out and separated Rayven from Hiro. Hiro unsheathed his sword, and the demon lunged forward.

Hiro widened his senses, closed his eyes and waited. "Whats wrong, mortal? Not going to fight head on? Then I shall come after you!" The beast charged Hiro at full speed. Hiro's body blurred and then vanished and he reappeared on the creature's back, crouching with his sword mostly sheathed. "Foolish demon." He sheathed the rest of his sword and several silver streaks appeared on the beast's body. The demon let out a loud roar before collapsing. "Too easy. Sigma's creations are pathetic." He turned and began to walk towards Rayven. Hiro was unaware that the beast had a trick up its sleeve. Its mouth opened and fired a single spike.

Dante dodged the first attack of the demon, which was a thrust with two of its arms, the claws gleaming in the mockery of daylight that existed in the world of devils. He jumped between the two arms, slashing away and sending brownish-green blood to the dusty path that they battled on. The creature screamed, swatting at Dante. He got careless with his timing and was batted hard to the ground.

The creature seemed to grin, bringing one of its hind legs hurtling down towards where Dante laid on the ground. Dante rolled, slashing with Rebellion and severing the gigantic foot. The creature howled, but adapted to the change in stance adequately. "You will not find me as easy to defeat as my underlings, Devil Hunter. Simply slicing me to bits won't get rid of me," the devil hissed. It outstretched a bleeding arm and the severed body part reattached itself promptly, good as new.

Dante sighed, watching the regeneration. "Well, shit. And here I was thinking you were a pushover. This could be interesting after all," he grinned. He sheathed Rebellion on his back, pulling Ebony and Ivory from their holsters, firing rapidly as he zig-zagged toward the demon. Small showers of blood issued from the bullets holes as the slugs impacted, and the demon seemed to cringe.

He ducked under the monster's legs just as it was about to swipe at him again, firing rapidly into what he could only assume was a mixture between a thorax and a stomach region, spewing more blood out of the creature. The demon growled, stomping rapidly around him. Dante smirked and shot up into the air, eye-level with the devil. He charged up Ebony and Ivory and fired, destroying two of the four eyes on the devil's head. A goo-like mixture poured from the empty sockets like tears, running down the hideous face of the demon.

Dante shrugged, looking while the thing writhed in pain for the moment. "Well, at least I know you're not indestructible. That would be a major pain in my ass," he said. The creature turned to look at him with its remaining eyes. "You will suffer more than you ever thought possible, Son of Sparda! Now die!"

Hiro turned and quickly slashed the spike. He cleft it in two with no effort. The spike exploded releasing a purple smoke. "What?!" Hiro leaped back as quickly as he could, his free arm covering his mouth and nose. He landed safely a few feet away from the smoke. It dissipated. "What the hell?" "I see that it failed. That's too bad, I was looking forward to obliterating you slowly," the demon hissed. Hiro looked at the decimated monster, only to see a smaller one crawling out of it. The demon was cat-like, but it had a human shape. It was roughly 5'5 in height, and had pure white fur. "What a waste, Master Sigma gave me that Battle Body too. But he warned that it may not be useable yet." Hiro reveled at the new demon that stood before him. "Battle....Body?"

"It's an artifical body created to use as a suit that alters your weakest points, turning them into strengths. This one wasn't quite complete. That's why you tore it apart so easily." Hiro's facial expression became that of a worried team mate. "Shit, Dante may be in bigger trouble than he knows!" Hiro turned to warn Rayven of the plight. "Do you always turn away from your enemy?" The demon lunged forward with its claws. Hiro dodged to the side, only to have a foot in his ribs. "Are you really that predictable?" Hiro's body flew several yards to his right, his body hit the ground and landed in a contorted position.

"Whats going on? I didn't even see his foot coming... I'm much sharper than this...What the hell?" Hiro rolled over, and coughed up some blood. Immediate pain surged into his rib cage. "AHHHH!" He had two, maybe three broken ribs. "That was fun, I haven't played kick the demon slayer since I took out that demon slayer with the shotgun!"

"He did that?" Hiro thought to himself as he tried to get up, only to collapse again. It would be a couple minutes before his ribs healed completely.

Dante stared down the demon, the fight being at a standstill for a moment. He had eluded the beast's last attack, and now waited for the next. The demon stared back, but decided to speak during the down time. "My brother is surely tearing your friend to shreds by now, Devil Hunter. My brother isn't exactly identical to me, his body was modified by Master Sigma. My body, however, was the mold Master Sigma used for the job."

Dante stared back, remaining impassive. "Fascinating... plan on finishing this fight anytime soon?" The demon seemed taken aback that his mental sabotage had failed, and Dante took the opportunity to check on Trish, who was busy blasting demons left and right, and couldn't look happier. She shot lightning occasionally, but stuck to guns. She seemed to make a delightfully bloody mess. Lady was no different, firing left and right with Kalina Anne, explosions of decaying flesh and black blood blossoming randomly around the area. Dante grinned, and turned back to the demon. "They seem to be having fun, so why don't we start again, eh? Give you the first strike this round."

The demon roared and lunged. "You will regret your arrogance, Devil Hunter!" He struck with all four arms this time, and Dante leaped above the claws that grasped at his flesh. He took the time now to strategize, and noticed something new. There were two jewels on the front of the demon, one on the forehead and one on left side of the chest. He smirked and backflipped behind the devil, seeing the third and final jewel in the center of its back. "Well, well, well, Mister Indestructible, looks like I found how to tear you apart." Dante aimed quickly, leaping into the air to dodge a sweep with a hind leg and fired a charged shot into the jewel, shattering it.

The demon howled, turning around, snarling in rage. It charged Dante again, its attacks somewhat fiercer now, and Dante still dodged and blocked effortlessly. It was after he took down the next jewel that he was going to have some trouble. He would distance himself and snipe the next two jewels, then go in for the kill. He jumped backwards quickly along the ground, aiming mentally and charging up two shots. When he was the right distance away, he lifted Ebony and Ivory, and fired. He watched as each shot hit its mark, and the demon crumpled, regaining its feet slowly. It seemed to stagger as Dante rushed in, Rebellion drawn and ready. The demon watched as Dante soared in and Rebellion sliced through its neck, and the head slid off of its shoulders.

Trish walked away from the bloody mess that she had made and put a hand on Dante's shoulder. Lady hung back, making sure there wouldn't be a second wave. "You okay? Don't forget, we need you as much as you need us here. Don't go getting careless."

Dante smirked. "You got it, babe." He rushed off with Trish and Lady in tow and headed to where he felt Hiro fighting.

Hiro was stil on the ground, his ribs only half repaired. The cat demon approached him slowly. "So this is the heir of the Dark Suppression Style? You're just as weak as Master Sigma warned." He stopped just in front of Hiro. He knelt down. "I'm surprised that you took out the Battle Body so quickly. Most hunters would have succumbed to the the intense strength of the body, but you weren't worried about that, were you?"

"No, I was worried. That's why I tried to end it so quickly." He spoke truthfully. His real objective was simply to stall for his regeneration. 30 seconds... "Too bad you didn't examine the body closer, you may have noticed that I was inside it," the demon taunted. 10 seconds. "Yea," Hiro smiled weakly. "I may have." Hiro secretly charged energy into his sword, concealed by the sheath. 5 seconds. "Too bad you didn't notice that you walked into a trap!"

"What!?" A black sphere surrounded the demon, and there were several slashing noises. The demon writhed in pain from the multiple hits. He backflipped back after receiving the damage and landed several feet from Hiro. Hiro rolled backwards and took a quick draw position.

"You were stalling for regeneration time?"

"Yep, and I made the mark as well. Now it's time for some fun, I know what I'm up against now. I won't make the same mistake again. Hiro's sheath turned red. "Blaze Dasher!"he shouted. Hiro quickly unsheathed his sword and swung in a wide arc, two fire balls intertwined and charged to their target, leaving a trail of red fire behind it. The beast jumped and narrowly dodged it. This was one of Hiro's favorite traps. He appeared behind the beast and slashed downward. "I've got you now!"

Dante arrived on the scene, first looking at Hiro, who seemed to have just gained the upper hand against his foe, then to Rayven, who was battling fiercely against the hordes that separated her from Hiro. Dante looked at Lady and Trish, grinning. "Care for a little more fun, ladies?" he said slyly. The women looked at each other and then back at Dante, their grins matching his own.

The three took off like a shot into the crowd of demons, guns ablaze. Rayven looked around and found herself back to back with Dante, and she began fighting on a whole other level than before. She was more accurate now, being with her comrades, the veil of suspense lifted. She could make it through this. She shot through the rotting brain of a charging demon, shouting over her shoulder to Dante. "What took you guys so long?"

Dante chuckled over his shoulder. "Something popped up and I killed it. How's he doing?" he asked, hinting at Hiro. He had seen the man fight before, but he, too seemed to be someone other than himself in this particular fight. He decided to not try and rationalize it, but rather accept it as it was. The numbers of the devils swarming them were diminishing rapidly, and soon only a few stood. A few well-placed bullets later, and the four stood on, watching Hiro.

Dante watched as Hiro made his move. _Don't fuck this up. You know we can't do this without you helping us._ He smirked. "Yo, kid. Hurry it up, huh? Mortal adversaries to defeat. You know the drill!" he shouted. The man's concentration wouldn't be thrown off enough to thwart his efforts, only to encourage him to finish with a bang. He waited, watching for the conclusion to the fight.

Hiro sensed Dante's group enter the fray. A small smile spread across his face. "That certainly puts my mind at ease." Hiro's stance loosened just a bit. "But still, his speed will be a problem." Hiro had never faced anybody who's speed matched his own. Dante was the only one who had ever adapted quickly enough to survive. But this demon didn't need to adapt, he was already on par with Hiro, and on top of that, he had already seen several of his moves. "Moves... that's it!" Hiro thought, a smug smile spreading across his face. "I'll end this in six moves!" Hiro said aloud. "Just you watch! If you can keep up, that is!"

Hiro's opponent snarled. "How dare you?! I'll crush you!" He charged forward on all fours. "That's it. You fell for my trick. This is the end." Hiro took his quick draw stance once again and closed his eyes. He could hear the constant footsteps his opponent made.

"What are you doing you fool?" His voice was much deeper and more demonic sounding, definitely more fitting. Hiro appeared behind him, his sword coming straight down. "Impossible! No one's faster than me!" the demon shouted. He barely side stepped the sword only to be met with Hiro's foot. "HRUAH!" The demon was sent flying in the opposite direction. Hiro reappeared where the demon was heading. "Up you go, you little bastard!" This time kicking upward, the demon was launched high into the air. Hiro made several hand signs, and ended with his index and middle fingers erect, a classic ninja hand sign. A triangle overlapped with another triangle and caught the demon in a pincer, completely immobilizing him. Hiro jumped high in the air, and stopped as if he had jumped to something physical. Hiro's image multiplied to seven. "Ragnarok!" Six of Hiro's after images turned a blood red and blazed past his opponent. After six instantaneous cuts, Hiro's real body appeared just above the demon, his sword glowing a multitude of colors. He came down and cut the demon width wise, the sound of steel slicing through flesh echoing throughout the area. Hiro landed, swung his sword, cleaning it of blood and sheathing it slowly. The final clicking of the sword in it's sheathe was the catalyst that destroyed his opponent. "Brother, Master Sigma, I failed." could be heard whispering as his body faded into nothing.

Dante watched the demon fade away, satisfied with the fight as Hiro had finished it. "Very stylish, my old friend. You didn't disappoint." He turned, ready to lead everyone to the final destination in Grikkn Shrifr, the tower, where a particularly nasty Demon General waited for them. He looked at the group, as he, Rayven, Trish and Lady had joined Hiro now. Now that everyone was together and the path was clear, it was time to step it up a bit.

He looked at Hiro. "Not tired, are ya? We still got a big fight ahead to unseal the city to see our good friend Diabolus. Wouldn't wanna keep him waiting, would ya?" They needed to progress quickly. Things would only get more dangerous as they neared the Devil's Tower, and the demon attacks more ferocious. They might have to split up again, then meet up at the tower itself.

He began walking along the path, everyone following him now. It was finally time to take down Devil's Nest and face the biggest enemy that any of them had ever faced. Things were going well, and Dante hoped it would stay that way. If any of the team died from now on, it would doom the mission, or make it nearly impossible. He walked along the path, the dust path converging again into a single line. The tower loomed in the distance, and Dante gritted his teeth in expectation for the fight to come.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	22. The Rematch

Rayven walked over to where the rest of the group was and reloaded her guns, putting them away in their holsters. She cleaned her remaining sword of blood and sheathed it. "Where to now, Dante?" she asked, ready for the fighting to begin again now that she had gained more fighting experience. She looked to Hiro. "Sorry for not helping more in the fighting. I just had a lot on my mind." She looked away from him.

Hiro let a small scoff escape, followed by a couple of small laughs. "No need to worry, Rayven. I needed to tackle this one myself. I learned a lot about my enemy, so I'll try and repay that in some way." He smiled, something he didn't do very often. "Let's move, I want to finish this."

Dante nodded, leading the group forward. He could sense the feelings between Rayven and Hiro, and wondered why they didn't just get together and get it over with. Rayven's feelings were a bit fainter, meaning she wasn't as into Hiro as he was into her. It didn't matter, things would work out however they worked themselves out. Every footstep from the group stirred up dust, and the massive tower stood right in front of them now. The tower was no more pleasing to the eye up close, although one had to admire the devils and their craftsmanship. The tower was immense, and a Demon General of massive power waited anywhere from the center to the very top. He hoped it wasn't the top.

He looked up, a whistle escaping from between his lips. "That's some shaft...bet it gets quite a bit of attention..." He shuffled his feet a bit, his eyes wandering over the tower's surface. The roughness of the stone stood out, small marks and such marring the surface. His eyes stopped on a grouping of human-sized cages, decaying bodies staring back at him from inside. He scoffed a bit, turning his back to them, knowing full-well what was about to happen.

The cages took on an eerie red glow, the bodies inside moving them, shaping them around each limb, forming a steel-plated carcass ready to kill. Six of them stood in front of Dante, and he laughed, pulling Rebellion. "I'll take this one...watching Hiro fight got my blood boilin'... this'll only take a sec." He launched forward, Rebellion's blade dancing in his hands, the blade flashing through the air. The cages weren't a match for the keepsake blade, crumbling along with the bodies within them. As the bodies smoldered, Dante looked over his shoulder at the others, grinning. "You guys comin'...or do I need to just knock out this tower by myself?" Trish and Lady looked at each other, grinning. They walked over to him, whispering in each other's ears, giggling. Dante raised an eyebrow and followed them inside the tower.

Only inches behind Dante, Hiro also admired the tower. "What is it about evil figures and HUGE buildings?" Inside his head, a moving picture began playing with no way to stop it. A few years back, he had worked for a very evil man named Antioch. Not because he agreed with his policies, but because he needed the money. Antioch gave him a 10 digit salary in exchange for the terrible things he did. He painfully recalled slaying a group of twenty humans merely because Antioch commanded it. The thought made him shiver visibly. But he was grateful for a few things from that dark time. Because of Antioch's commands, he had met Dante, albeit in the heat of an intense battle. He had found his way again after facing Dante. The memory was all too vivid.

_He fought Dante for about half an hour, neither of them gaining the advantage over the other, the rain coming down like a million tiny hammers made of water. He locked his blade with Dante's and they stood there for a moment. "Why...?" Hiro was hesitant in his speech, he hadn't needed to use his voice at all since he had started working for Antioch. " Why...do you...defy my master?" Dante gave him a cold glare. "Because I will not allow his dark ambitions to be brought forth into this world. Why do you serve him? Someone of your power should fight for the greater good. Not for someone __who would enslave humanity." Hiro didn't understand what Dante was hinting at. His blade began to shake as the conundrum affected his entire body. There was something about what he said that stirred something inside him, something that had been cast to the wind and forgotten. Dante took advantage of the situation and pulled out Ebony. He shot Hiro in the leg, and rammed Rebellion through his chest. He quickly removed Rebellion, and Hiro stumbled backward, his vision blurring. He dropped to one knee, then laid on his belly with his head turned to the right. His breath came in gasps. A moment passed and Hiro began to lose consciousness. Dante stood directly above him, Ebony aimed at his head. "It's too bad....you seem like the kind of person who would try to prevent evil from spreading, and not be consumed by it," Dante said solemnly. "Don't you have something better than money to fight for?" _

_Hiro's body would have convulsed violently if he hadn't been paralyzed. Dante moved Ebony away from Hiro's head and holstered it. He turned, flaring the tail of his coat behind him. "If you survive, you may need to rethink your life a little," Dante said, walking away slowly. Hiro laid there for hours, slowly recovering from the near fatal wound. During that time, he thought about many things, Dante's words among them at every turn of the maze that was his conscious. "Why did I pick up my sword in the first place?" This question plagued him, but eventually, a voice rang out to him, the voice of a young girl, sweet and pure. "For my sake...." Hiro's eyes sprang open. The young girl wasn't there. He laid there for a moment longer, then got up, his wound closed. He began to walk, his legs like jelly at first. "That man.... I must ask him what he meant!" he said aloud. He later saw Dante just out side of Antioch's chamber, blood dripping from Rebellion's blade. _

Hiro flashed back to reality as Dante finished his battle. Hiro realized that he had entered the tower while he was lost in his memories. He had also let Dante have all the fun. He sighed. "Oh, well." He continued after his friendly rival.

Rayven stayed near Hiro's side as they walked into the first chamber together. Dante had taken off again and was slaying everything before anyone else could. "Well, this isn't as fun as I thought it would be," she said as she rolled her eyes at Dante. Demons began to materialize behind the two. Rayven grabbed her sword and watched carefully as the hooded demons arose from the mist. "Hiro?" Hiro paused and looked at her. "Get down," she said quickly. Hiro ducked, barely dodging her blade as it smashed through the skull of one of the hooded monsters. She pulled it swiftly up, creating a large arc, tearing another airborne one into pieces. "Well, so much for peace and quiet," she said sarcastically.

Hiro practically glided towards a few emerging demons, a look of pure determination on his face. He sidestepped and twirled as several blades came his way, only to strike his neon yellow after image. He reappeared a few feet a way and the demons fell to pieces. He sheathed his blade, the glow fading. He turned, seeing several demons that would flank Rayven if he didn't do something quick. He jumped diagonally towards the wall and ran on it as if it were the floor. He whipped out his pistols and wiped several demons out, splashing their blood on the chamber wall. He then leaped forward from the wall,sword ready to be drawn. He blazed past the remaining group of demons, his sword slightly drawn. He ended up a few feet from Rayven. "Plasma Field," he whispered. The demons halted in place as a multitude of colors streaked across the room. The demons fell to pieces and burned away from the intense heat. He then fully drew both swords and took a defensive stance, sighing. He was ready to help Rayven further should she need it.

The two were suddenly surrounded in dust, several higher demons forming and beginning to suck in the air around them, making the air cold. Rayven slashed at the ones closest to them with her sword, but they teleported back a few feet away from her blade. She drew her guns and shot at the demons, but the bullets did nothing. "What?" she said, shocked. "This isn't good!" She began to shiver from the cold air around her. "Damn," she said, concern filling her voice. She vaulted at the demons and sliced one down the center. Just then, one appeared beside her.

The demon next to Rayven froze as it returned to dust, several slash marks appearing through its body. The dust scattered and recollected in another location, reforming the demon. Hiro was fairly familiar with this form of devil magic. He closed his eyes and threw his senses outward, revealing a small demon holding a small orb filled with dust. He leaped upward and created two orbs of flame in the palms of his hands. Without opening his eyes, he threw the balls of fire at the little creature, thus removing it from its hiding spot. "Rayven!" Hiro shouted. "Destroy the orb that demon is holding!"

A loud boom sounded in the chamber, the orb flying from the debris that was previously the demon's body, a trail of smoke leading back to the doorway where Lady, Trish, and Dante stood. Lady lowered Kalina Anne, showing a satisfied smirk.

The demons froze, surveying the intruders. Dante stared them down, Ebony and Ivory held tightly in his gloved hands. He smirked as well, looking at Hiro, watching the orb fly through the air. He jumped to the nearest wall, breaking into a run along it, launching off and catching the orb, landing back on the floor and looking at it closely.

Trish began firing at the startled demons, trying to give Hiro and Rayven a break. The rooms they had been in had had little to no action, just one uninteresting room after the next. She had become a little bored with the place. She wondered if the Devil's Citadel was going to be this boring. Then she thought better, remembering exactly _where_ the tower was. She sighed after splattering the sandy brains of a couple of devils along the walls.

Dante looked at Hiro. "You know what this is, right?" he asked, holding up the orb, a faint glow coming from it. The glow diminished a bit, showing small runes and designs on the orb itself. "This isn't just a control mechanism for that puppeteer, it's a map. Maybe we can find ourselves a Demon General to fight with this thing, huh? Problem is...I can't read it." He tossed it to Hiro, looking at him expectantly. "Another thing is...you can. Think you can find where we should go next?"

The remaining demons converged on them, and Dante began shooting freely, each one falling, not reforming due to the lack of demonic energy willing them to spring up again. Now they could figure out the map and get on with the tower, and finish their mission in the Devil Kingdom.

Hiro caught the orb and made a narrow escape from one of the creature's claws as it dropped from Dante's gunfire. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He sheathed his last sword and examined the orb. The runes were roughly hewn into it's glassy frame. He had a tough time making out certain parts. "This demon was clearly inexperienced with rune carving. Let me see..." He rotated it in his hand using his demonic energy, the runes lighting up. "This is going to take a minute. I'll need a moment." After studying the orb a bit longer, he began speaking again.

"The demons we just faced were the result of a form of demon magic known as a dust manipulation. This orb was the medium of the magic, apparently it's also a key and a map." He looked at Rayven for a moment. "I called out to you, but I guess it was too noisy for you to hear." He paused for a moment, looked at the orb, and an idea struck him. "Rayven, your demonic energy type is neutral, correct?"

"Yeah...but what does that have to do with the orb?" she asked as she glanced at the orb. _Those runes...they appear to have been recently engraved onto that orb. I wonder..._ Before Hiro could answer the first question, more were already beginning to vocalize in her mind. "Who created this orb? I mean..." She paused. "...those runes look suspiciously familiar..."

A raspy hiss of a voice sounded in the chamber, the owner of the voice unseen. "Almost as if...you've met them before, right, child?" Blasphemy materialized from the wall opposite of the group, an evil grin appearing over his face. "I hope you're stronger than last time, child. Because if you aren't, you will die."

Dante made a move to engage the demon, but Rayven's glare stopped him dead in his tracks. Something about her made him smirk, and nod confidently. "Hope you know what you're doing, kid. He seems pretty tough. Don't die on us."

Blasphemy cackled from his perch, leaping down into the center of the chamber. Dante instructed Hiro, Trish and Lady to take their places at the other side of the chamber. They would be spectators and nothing more. Rayven needed to finish this herself. This was her fight and no one else's. He didn't think that she would stand for any interference, either.

Blasphemy looked at Rayven, hunger in his eyes. "Your friends have too much faith in you, child. They don't know you like I do..." A clawed hand clenched, ready for the confrontation. "Ready to die, child? Come at me and embrace your end."

The demon smiled wistfully. "I cannot believe how excited I am to be tasting your blood once again." Rayven gritted her teeth. "What the hell does that mean?" In an instant Blasphemy was gone, and a horrible ripping feeling surged across her side. "Well, this is nice," he said, almost pleasantly. Licking the blood from his spread claws, he turned to her. "I thought after all this time you would have at least improved some. I'm rather disappointed." He turned away once again, and stared towards the ground.

Rayven flashed pure hatred towards him. "Don't you look away from me, you bastard!" She rushed toward him, plunging her blade quietly into his stomach. Blasphemy half gurgled, half laughed. "Please, more." The wound began to boil and smell like brimstone. His wings opened as he lifted them both into the air. "Let us dance, mon ami!" He flung her into the air, the sword still lodged into his stomach. She frantically sprawled in the air trying to get a footing on something nearby, but found nothing. "Hahahaha, this makes me so happy!" cackled Blasphemy. He flashed around quick as lightning, pure emptiness in his eyes. He sped past her, his claws slashing at all the skin he could grab.

Blood poured from Rayven as she screamed in agony. "Hehehehaha! What joy I feel!" Blashpemy exclaimed. He landed neatly on the ground, his cracked wings sprinkled with blood as Rayven crashed to the ground in a bloody heap. She violently coughed up blood, and looked to Blasphemy. "I..is that the...best you got?" She flashed her demon side, small peals of red lightning crackling around her.

Blasphemy smiled. "That's what I was waiting for," he said hungrily. Immediately, the wounds on Rayven's body began to heal, almost burning away. "You monster...you destroyed everything I cared about.... you...." she paused and looked to her hand, watching it slowly become more and more demonic, claws extending. "You took away my life!" she roared. She moved at blistering speed, and quickly landed her blade several times into various places on Blasphemy's grotesque body.

"Ooooh....that one hurt pretty bad, child... why not place one a little higher... about the middle of my back... I have an itch that I can't reach..." She violently pulled her sword in a straight vertical arc, nearly tearing the demon in two. She stepped back, breathing harshly. Taking slow, determined steps, Blasphemy walked toward her, appearing unaffected by the rain of blows inflicted upon him. "You know what makes the death of your family and friends even more humorous?" he asked sweetly. He paused and smiled, waiting for her to show even an ounce of hatred. "That it was all your fault! If you hadn't just come forward, they would all be alive! Well, most of them anyway."

She rushed toward him again, hatred guiding her blade to his throat. He slowly bent, and caught the blade in his teeth. "Try harder!" he yelled. He whipped his head around, throwing her toward Hiro, her body crashing in front of him on the ground. "Let's see how much of a friendship you have formed with them," he said sadistically. He held up his hand. A demonic force crackled thick in the air, like pure electricity. He opened his mouth, speaking ancient words. "Formidilosus essum e lumen, essum suum!" After every syllable of the spell spoken, the air became thicker and thicker, nearly as thick as pure rock. Movement became a laughable idea. In Blasphemy's hand, energy poured out, forming a spear, quickly propelling itself towards Rayven. "Disappear, Rayven. Forever!" Blasphemy cackled gleefully. Rayven shot Hiro a desperate glance. "Hiro!"

Hiro's fist tightened a little. "Sorry, Dante," he said under his breath. He blurred out of sight and reappeared right in front of Rayven. He placed his hand out in front of him, like he was about to catch something. "Crystal Field!" A flat, six sided crystal appeared in front of his hand, then multiplied by three at a rapid rate until He was covered by a half circle of brilliant crystals. The spear collided with the barrier and was held in place. It shook violently in place and cackled with electricity.

He struggled to maintain it in place, if he failed, he would be impaled, and Rayven as well. The thought of this gave him the strength to stop the spear. The weapon flew upward, spinning. He saw a golden opportunity. Hiro leaped upward and grabbed the spear, charging it with his multi-colored energy. He smirked. "Still feeling cocky?" He rotated his body and threw the spear shouting, "Eat this!" The spear flew in a brilliant multitude of colors. Blasphemy barely side stepped the spear, but the energy scorched him, leaving half of his body completely burned. Hiro landed fine, but he was completely out of breath. Stopping the spear proved to be more taxing than he had expected.

The injured Blasphemy howled into the air with pure hatred. "You fool!" He pointed his finger toward Hiro and smiled. "I'll paint these walls with your entrails!" He rushed Hiro with blistering speed, and slammed him hard against the ground with his tail. "I'll deal with you later," he whispered menacingly. He slowly walked over to Rayven and picked her up off of the ground by her hair. "Do you like this, wench? Seeing your allies destroyed before your eyes? If that is your wish..."

Rayven spat at the demon, hitting him in the face. His eyes became nearly hollow as he stared with pure rage. "Wrong answer, little girl." He spun her around and flung her straight up, her body colliding with the ceiling and beginning its descent back toward the ground. Blasphemy held his hand upwards towards her and halted her fall with his energy. "I could kill you instantly if I chose to do so..." He pulled her in close, nearly an inch away from his face. "...but what satisfaction would I get out of that?" He dropped her body from his grasp, letting her fall to the ground, hitting hard. He began walking toward Hiro once again, who was now on his feet, exhausted from his last shield he had created, trying to muster the energy to attack. "Oh, so close," Blasphemy hissed. He flipped his fingers around, sending Hiro into a short spiral, forcing him on his back. "And yet, so far."

Suddenly, Rayven's blade blasted through Blasphemy's chest, causing him to pause. He turned around and smiled. "Give me more than that, child." She released her blade, and plunged her hand through his body, and out the front. "Errr....heh..." Blasphemy coughed up blood, letting it dribble down his disgusting chin. "That's better. Now you've got it! The intention of killing me is pure!" He arched his wings and brought them into Rayven's back, the edges stabbing her all over. "You just have to be resourceful."

She grimaced, and then smiled. "Fine." She pulled the wings out from her back, and pushed herself off of Blasphemy, sending him stumbling. She then rushed up behind him, and rammed the sharp blade-like endings of his wings into his own back, several bones and organs crushing and ripping under the force. "That good enough?" she spat.

He turned and smiled. "Good..." He winced as his wings pulled themselves out of his back, but his smile never faded even as he knelt to his knees. "You may have won the battle but the war is far from over. Every 100 years, I am reborn. I hope you keep your strength up. I will return..." With that, his eyes took on a listless hue as his body slumped to the ground with a thud. "When that time comes, I'll be ready," he whispered as he started to break apart. As Blasphemy's body faded away, Rayven stumbled to Hiro's side to check up on him.

Hiro laid on the floor in a good amount of pain. It wouldn't have bothered him so badly if he weren't so damn tired. He looked to see Rayven limping over to his side. He dropped his head back to the ground as Rayven knelt by him. "Atta girl. What was it you needed? That last little push?" He let out an almost pathetic laugh. "Glad you finished it. How do you feel?"

Dante strode around the chamber slowly, letting Rayven and Hiro have their moment. It was long overdue, anyway. The tower seemed to shift, the floor vibrating as all the seals in Grikkn Shrifr died away, opening the path to their final destination. He looked around the chamber, the blackened spot in the center where Blasphemy had breathed his last breath standing out against the brown hue of the stone. Something caught his eye. A familiar weapon, demonic in origin. His eyes widened as he recognized his father's sword, Sparda. It was lodged in the stone, begging to be set free from the demonic realm. He walked toward it, tugging it free and looking at it. It gleamed in the false light in the chamber, the sword seeming to cry out in joy at being reunited with its heir. A loud noise sounded and a door opened to the right of where he was standing, previously unseen, as it had been blending in with the circular wall of the chamber.

He looked at the lovebirds, still realizing that they needed their moment. He looked to Lady and Trish, who had also noticed the door. He jerked his head toward the door, and they both nodded, walking toward it with him. He leaned in, letting them do the same. "Just let them get it out of their systems. They'll catch up." The women giggled quietly and followed him down a winding staircase. A light at the end of the walkway showed the landscape of Grikkn Shrifr, the road leading out and toward the Devil's Citadel revealed. Dante smirked, shielding his eyes from the false light. "Just one more stop...then this is all over."

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	23. Ascent

The women with Dante giggled as they saw the two lovebirds rushing toward them. They knew exactly what had happened in the chamber during their absence. Trish gave Dante a sly grin, to which he rolled his eyes, ignoring the hint.

He began walking again when Rayven and Hiro rejoined the group, the air still and silent as they trudged down the path to their final destination. The tower was immense, even as far away as they were. The tower was without a doubt the largest structure ever created in either world. The tower would prove to be the greatest challenge, as it would be surrounded with enemies as well as filled with them.

As he trudged along, Dante thought back through everything that had led up to this. The people who had lost their lives, his fallen comrades, and all the misfortune of the whole situation. Anshin's face flitted in front of eyes, reminding him of what waited for him when all was right. He had to make it right for the little girl. To right the wrong he had done to her. He had to give her a home.

He shook himself from his thoughts. All of the pieces of the puzzle were coming together, and all of his convictions were propelling him forward toward the destined battle between the son of a rebel and an oppressive ruler. He pulled Sparda from its spot on his back, looking at the blade as he walked on. The blade seemed to speak to him, telling him that everything had to be done to stop Diabolus and the EOD Syndrome.

He looked forward again, the tower within a few minute's walking now. He kept Sparda tight in his gloved hand, his eyes narrowing at the tower. It stood like a mountain in front of them, the perfect place for an enemy stronghold if he ever saw one. All that was left now was to make it inside and finish everything.

"The moment of truth," Hiro said, stepping forward and raising the sand filled orb above his head. It began to pulse and shine with a blueish light. He began chanting in a strange indistinguishable language. This continued for a minute, then stopped abruptly when the door to the tower slid backwards and to the side. The sound of a large demon growling exited the building. The base of the tower shook as a large demon burst from the entrance. He slammed into the round opening a couple of times, shaking off dust that may have sat there for centuries. After the second slam, the creature broke through, destroying the perfectly round entrance. The creature stood over nine feet tall and it was clad in armor with dark gray skin. "Quite the welcoming committee." He drew his swords and took a defensive stance.

Dante smirked, resting Sparda on his shoulder. "Whaddya say we introduce ourselves, then? Wouldn't wanna be rude." He looked beyond the demon quickly, seeing that there was a two-door mechanism, and the the orb wasn't the key to the second door. Something else opened the Devil's Citadel besides Blashpemy's orb. He was sure that finding Sparda had been no coincidence, and that it must be the key.

He took a closer look at the armor-clad demon, examining its features. Its muscular structure was more solid than a steel wall, and its body was immense. It had two huge, muscular arms, a sword in each of its hands. Its upper body rested on two gigantic dog-like back legs, with a tail jutting from somewhere on its back. Grayish skin lightly covered in black fur covered the parts of the creature's body that were exposed.

Its jackal-like face glared at them, apparently unhappy to have had its rest disturbed. A giant, X-shaped scar sat over its left eye, causing the eye to squint. "Those who dare wake me from my slumber will die. None shall enter the dwelling place of the Great Diabolus! Prepare to die!" His tail swished back and forth, stirring up an alarming amount of dust behind him. He raised his swords and swiftly took his stance, ready to attack.

Rayven looked at the ugly beast in front of her and readied her sword. "Looks like Diabolus has a big watch dog for a guard. Who goes first or do we go all at once?" she asked, looking to Dante. She wasn't quite sure how they should attack this warrior. She looked over to see Hiro drawing his swords and getting ready. _Guess I should get ready myself_, she thought. Suddenly her demonic energy surged into her sword and around her, causing her to glow.

Dante held his hand up to stifle any actions the others were thinking of taking. "Sorry, guys...but I hope you don't mind if take this one. I think I need to get a little practice in with my old man's sword. This shouldn't take long." He stepped forward, Sparda gripped tightly in his hand. He looked at the immense demon, the grizzled head looking down to peer at him with its eyes.

"You're a bold one, Son of Sparda. So eager to rush to your death that you would face me alone? So be it, prepare to meet your father!" The demon began swinging both of its swords swiftly, missing Dante with every intended strike. A loud clang sounded, dust rising and swiftly enveloping the two combatants. The dust settled, revealing the two swords of the demon suspended by Sparda's blade in mid-air. He grinned from Sparda's hilt, obviously pleased with himself.

"Is that the best ya got?" He asked smugly. "I think if that's the best you can offer, I better get this over with now and quit messin' around. I got more important things to do than play with you all day."

The demon stepped backwards, obviously taken aback by the man's arrogance. "You...you'll suffer!" It swung both swords downward, and Dante smirked, disappearing. The demon looked around, bewildered. "What the...?"

Not a moment after it spoke, a line began running along its neck, deepening and beginning to spurt its black blood everywhere. Dante appeared, heading towards the ground, Sparda's edge painted with the demon's blood. As his boots hit the ground, the demon's head separated from its shoulders, sending a black fountain into the air, the thud of the body following. Dante swung Sparda's blade, cleaning it and replacing it on his back. He looked at the others. "Well, that was fun...shall we?"

Hiro watched as Dante finished used his father's massive sword in a very swift manner. He was thoroughly impressed with his dexterity with such a large weapon. While the beast's head fell to the ground, he noticed something shine on the beast's helm. Intrigued, he walked up to the decapitated head and examined the forehead closer. What he saw was a small scratch in what appeared to be a now flawed half circle sapphire. "Too bad Dante's gotta destroy this to move on, this would have been worth a fortune in the human world." He shook his head and motioned to Dante. "Your sword and this gem are the two keys necessary to open the next door, my friend." He motioned to the others to follow him.

Rayven walked after Hiro. Dante had destroyed the demon himself and she had not been needed. Her demonic energy drained away and she was back to normal. She kept her sword drawn just in case they ran into something on the other side of the door.

Dante walked past the giant form of the demon, leaving its body to rot in the dust where it laid. He looked at the inner door of the Citadel, observing it for any clue that would tell him how to use Sparda. His only clue was a sizable slit in the ground in front of the door. He looked at the large sword, ramming it into the slit with enough force to crack the ground around it.

The door began to shake violently, a red seal forming around its edges as the door began to crack. The door crumbled inward, revealing the interior of the tower itself. Roughly hewn stone met his eyes, as did intricate runes and letterings. The room was empty except for a lift in the center. Brightly lit channels ran from the ceiling of the chamber to the walls, and over the floor to the center of the room, and he assumed that was the power source of the lift. He boldly approached the lift, keeping Sparda ready.

All of a sudden, violent screaming sounded in the chamber and space-time distortions appeared throughout the chamber, demons appearing from them. They were dark gray in appearance, with sunken in, eyeless sockets on their gaunt faces. Their hands seemed to be distorted, fingers twisted and fused together grotesquely, forming spike-like blades on each "hand". Their upper jaws stuck out prominently, all of the teeth in them sharp and filed. They stumbled awkwardly, but struck out with fierce precision.

Dante looked at the others, a grin painting his face. "You guys fancy a warm-up before we get down to real business?" He turned back around, the demons advancing slowly. A warm-up sounded good before taking down the ruler of the Devil Kingdom himself. He readied himself for the fight.

Rayven walked into the room after Dante with her sword still drawn. The first demon ran at her and she began to fight with it. The demon struck at her with the sharp blades and she knocked it back while another blade came at her. She grabbed the blade with her open had and slashed the arm off. As the blade began to fall, she grabbed it and ran it through the demon, killing it with its own blade. The demon fell to the ground in a bloody heap, then another blade came at her, another fight beginning.

The most current attack came to a halt as the demon fell to pieces. Hiro was visible behind the demon, and it bled out rather quickly. Not wasting any time, he turned and ran up the wall, going vertically up. He then leaped into the air with a light spin. When gravity kicked in, he drew his pistols and opened fire. He noticed that many of the shots eliminated enemies who could have potentially wounded Rayven from behind. He landed parallel to the wall again and quickly ducked to avoid a wide slash. He performed a sweeping kick with a downward motion and knocked the demon off balance. He thrust his partially transformed arm through the demon. "Eat this!" he said as he threw the demon across the room, its "hands" cutting through three of its comrades.

Dante saw that Rayven and Hiro were more than occupied, and also noticed that more than a handful of the remaining demons in the room had their sights on him. Or, they would have could they have seen. He smirked, putting away Sparda for a moment and pulling Ebony and Ivory. He began firing wildly in different directions, blood splattering on the walls and floor as the demons screamed in agony. They didn't die, but came at him a bit more slowly.

He spat in frustration, pulling Sparda and Rebellion. With Sparda in his right hand and Rebellion in the other, he launched forward, slashing away. He thrust Sparda through one of the demons, the blade extending and impaling two more in the process. He lifted the blade, the demons hanging limply from it. He swung the blade, sending the bloody bodies away from him to rot. He turned, blocking a "hand" with Rebellion and severing every limb from the creature's body with a quick flurry from Sparda. He finished the job, decapitating the beast with Rebellion.

Only a few demons were left now on his side of the room. He thought a moment as they staggered blindly in his direction. He held both swords with their blades resting on the ground behind him, where they began to glow. He waited, the energy building up into them from his body. He finally released it all, swinging both swords rapidly in vertical arcs, sending blades of demonic energy slashing the remaining demons into bloody pieces. His side of the room was clear now, and he let out a chuckle, sheathing both swords.

Rayven finished the demons on her side and killed all of the remaining demons with the help of Hiro. She turned to him and smiled and then looked to see Dante finishing his side with his wild show. She walked to the center of the room, waiting for what would happen next.

Hiro swung his blade in a sharp, crisp motion, cleansing the blade of any blood. "That was fairly easy," he said, smirking in Dante's direction. He looked around, trying to figure out the next lock. He looked straight up and saw a hole shaped exactly like the gem he had collected before. He ran vertically up the wall and bounded off, his hand touching the ceiling. He hung there for a moment, his hands flat against the ceiling, nothing but his energy keeping him there. He made a swinging motion and connected his feet with the ceiling. He stood on the ceiling for a moment to analyze the indentation. He pulled out the gem, seeing it was still damaged. "You guys are going to have to hang tight for a minute. I'll fix the gem using alchemy."

Dante looked up and watched as Hiro worked. They needed that gem providing power through the conduits so that they could ride the lift up and face the powerful demons that lurked in the tower. He realized that the tower seemed to be less guarded than it should, meaning that Sigma and Diabolus were waiting for them. They would have to split up and fight, making sure to end it as quickly as they could. The fights would most definitely be difficult, but that went without saying.

He knew that Hiro and he would part ways at Sigma's level, and that he would have to continue on to the top of the tower to face Diabolus. He assumed Rayven would go with Hiro and that Trish and Lady would want to tag along with him. He glanced back at the two women, who seemed to have been distracted with shooting the demons that he hadn't been tearing apart. Now they were admiring the craftsmanship of the tower. He sighed, psyching himself up for what was fast approaching.

It seemed unreal that he was about to take on the ruler of the demonic realm. It seemed completely ridiculous that he wasn't sitting at his desk, eating pizza and relaxing. But what was real was the fact that Diabolus had to be stopped. He glanced at Hiro again. "Hurry up, huh? We need that lift running. We both got fights to finish! Let's end this and go home!" He waited patiently for Hiro to finish his work.

Hiro drew the circle on his glove, placed the gem on the back of it and covered the the gem with his right hand. There was a small blue glow, and the sound of lightning surging. He removed his right hand and looked at the newly restored gem. Tt was a brilliant sapphire, perfect in every way. He admired the incredible craftsmanship for a moment and inserted the gem into the socket. The floor under the lift shook, indicating that it had received power. "Right." He released the energy keeping him bound to the ceiling and landed on his feet. "All aboard. Final destination, destruction of the Demon Generals."

Rayven watched Hiro fix the gem and put it into the key hole. It was a beautiful color and she stared at it for a few moments. She then walked over to the lift and got on first. She watched as Hiro fell to the floor and landed on his feet, and began to walk to the lift with Dante next to him. She sheathed her sword for now waiting until they got to the next floor. Lady and Trish followed after the men, getting into the lift.

Dante stood next to Hiro and watched as everyone entered the lift. The lift began to shudder, then it shook, taking off at a decent speed. It rose upward, the innards of the tower surging past them quickly. The ride seemed almost peaceful. No interruptions were anywhere to be found, and he had time to think. He stared out at the walls flying by them as they rode the lift up to the final battles.

Hiro already knew what he was getting into, so he didn't worry too much about him. He had to worry what kind of power Diabolus wielded. What kind of weapons he had at his disposal. He shook himself from his thoughts as the lift halted abruptly. He looked over the side of the lift and there was a doorway emblazoned with a gigantic crimson Sigma. He looked at Hiro and Rayven. "Looks like you two are up. It's finally time to end everything." He put his hand out, and Hiro shook it. The two men nodded, and Hiro and Rayven went through the door, which shut after them, the lift going up once more.

It was just Dante, Trish, and Lady left in the lift, and they all stood silently, waiting. They were almost to the top of the tower now, and Dante was getting a bit restless. He paced back and forth with the space that was now available to him. He folded his arms over his chest as he pondered the fight, and how he would adapt to whatever Diabolus would throw at him. His thoughts were interrupted as the lift shuddered and stopped, the door in front of them emblazoned with a giant "D". Dante looked at the women and nodded, and they all proceeded through the door.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	24. A Rematch For The Ages

Hiro walked up to the door, his hands on the cool, heavily-refined metal. He dropped his head for a moment, taking in a deep breath. He raised his head again and moved through the steel doors, a heavy thud indicating that the doors had shut behind him. Inside, what he had expected to be a real horror of a room turned out to be anything but. What he hadn't expected was to see a room filled with beautiful sculptures, marble walls, and a single long red carpet. The room was long and symmetrical, a real masterpiece. He almost felt guilty for potentially destroying such a beautiful room.

Rayven walked into the room behind Hiro. Everything looked beautiful. Hiro looked around in amazement while Rayven walked over to one of the sculptures. "This is different," she said as she turned and looked around the room. "I've never seen a place like this." She gazed at the sculptures again.

Hiro extended his senses outward as far as he could. _Where are you, Sigma? _At the tip of his senses, he felt a presence and he tried to visualize it. What he saw was a black, almost ethereal flame. "Rayven, We don't have any more time to waste. Let's go," he said quickly. He began to walk down the hall and it seemed like hours passed, when in reality, it had only been a few minutes. He came to a very wide, tall chamber. At the far end of it sat what appeared to be a specter, a tall hooded creature with its head drooping, and a long, evil-looking scythe laying to its right.

He stopped and motioned for Rayven to stop. An evil voice rang out. "I've been waiting for you for almost twenty years now, Hiro Oboro. Welcome to my chamber." The voice was deep, and had a small echo that followed it. This voice was only too familiar to Hiro. He had heard it once when he was five years old. The night that Sigma and his Captains had destroyed his home, along with his entire clan.

"You slew my entire clan. I'm here to avenge them, and to bring an end to the EOD Syndrome!" Hiro said defiantly. The specter released a maniacal laugh. "How amusing, it's time I finish the job." The specter began to float a few inches off of the ground, and he extended his robed arm outward. The scythe flew in a circular motion toward it. Grasping his scythe, he charged forward with ludicrous speed. Hiro quickly charged, and the two flew past each other. There was a quick pause and the sound of ripping cloth could be heard. "Impressive, that was the blow that killed your father. I guess I won't be so hasty this time and just enjoy the kill!" Hiro turned, drawing his long swords and taking his standard ready position.

Dante, Lady, and Trish stepped through the door, looking around slowly. Both women had their weapons drawn and ready, while Dante folded his arms as he walked. The chamber they were in was very dim, hiding what was held within. As they walked, torches lit as they passed them, slowly illuminating the chamber. A once-white rug ran the length of the chamber, vanishing over the horizon of the floor.

The rug was now blood-red, no doubt the doing of Diabolus himself. As the room lit further, a gruesome, grisly scene unfolded in front of the trio's eyes. Four dog-like demons, almost mechanical in appearance sat at the bottom of a throne, at the feet of the Ruler of the Devil Kingdom. Diabolus's face and form remained hidden, the light of the torches not reaching him yet. The forms of half-eaten bodies and severed and chewed limbs were revealed, and the hell hounds looked up, the crimson of their eyes glowing in the dim light. Crimson teeth bared, they dropped their current meal, much to the women's disgust.

An ethereal voice sounded in the chamber. "Kill them." The hounds took off, and in a flash, they were within inches of the trio of Hunters. Dante grinned, pulling Rebellion and Sparda, flashes of steel reflecting in the light of the torches as black blood splattered over the stone floor, the light reflecting in it eerily. A sinister chuckle could be heard, as footsteps sounded, indicating that the owner of the voice had stood. "So it begins. A rematch for the ages..." A whooshing sound was heard and all the torches blazed, lighting the room completely.

Dante's eyes followed the clawed hand down, resting his eyes on the horrifying form of none other than Diabolus. A humanoid shape greeted him, claws extending from the fingertips of the Demon Lord's hands. Black, withering angel wings rested on his back. His entire body was covered with a fleshy composite, seemingly made up of mutated and withered skin. Horns jutted from just above his forehead, at least seven inches long in length, ink black in color. A crown of eternally burning black flame sat an inch or so above his head, which was sparsely covered with coarse black hair. Eyes alight with black flame observed him, pupilless and impassive. His evil grin revealed a mouth full of pointed teeth.

His body was covered with beautifully decorated armor, red and black colored. The style was like nothing ever seen, and Dante could only think of it as a mixture between a European knight's armor and a Japanese samurai's, all made of the toughest raw material known in either realm: demon steel. It glinted in the light of the torches, and as Dante looked around, he saw that the chamber was larger than any he had ever been in.

The chamber was actually beautiful in its own way, despite the dismemberment and gore that filled it. Ornate gold and silver carvings and fittings adorned the walls and ceiling, and the Throne of the Devil Emperor shone with the light of many precious metals. A large, gold emblazoned "D" rested in the center of each wall, as well as on the floor. The whole room was antique and rustic, centuries old. The runes from the other towers also adorned the chamber.

Dante whistled, looking around. "Nice digs, I must say. You must make out pretty well, huh? Sorry 'bout your pooches there, pal, but I'm not just a piece of meat here." He looked at the Demon Lord, who began to laugh.

Diabolus's laugh was like thunder, magnified by ten thousand times. "Dante, Son of Sparda... how long I've waited for your arrival. Our battle will be legendary, and I will be forever known as the one who ended the bloodline of the traitor Sparda. You have done well, but it all ends here."

Dante grinned, holding both swords at the ready. "Ready when you are, pal. Let's rock!"

A loud crackling filled the chamber, and Dante's eyes opened wide in shock for a moment as he saw the Three Eyes of Mundus manifest themselves in the air between the two. A familiar voice sounded, and Dante's eyes narrowed as he listened to the words that came from nowhere.

"Dante, Son of Sparda, it has seemed an eternity since we last met. The plane that you banished me to had no sense of time, only silence. It was maddening. You will suffer for the indignity I have suffered, the countless centuries that I passed alone and suffering. I have been waiting so long for this... for a suitable host to take as my new body...a body with which to slay you!"

Diabolus looked at the symbol in the air. "What are you doing? This was not part of our agreement!"

Mundus laughed coldly. "You fool... did you really think I'd let you have my throne? That one such as you could be the true ruler of the demonic realm? You were but a pawn in all of this. It was my plan that you would lure the Son of Sparda here with the Syndrome I created, that he would appear here. That all would transpire as it has. You have done well. But this is as far as you go, my faithful servant." A loud buzzing was heard, and Diabolus was engulfed in red lightning. It surged over him, and he was heard retching and writhing in agony. His body stilled, and remained still for a few moments. The body rose, the Three Eyes of Mundus now below Diabolus's horns on his forehead. He smirked.

Dante looked at the new being, the new Mundus. "I should have figured you'd pull a stunt. Seemed too good to be true that you were gone for good. Well, it doesn't really matter. I kicked your ass once and I can damn well do it again."

Mundus laughed, both his and Diabolus's voices sounding together, echoing in the chamber. "You don't get it, do you, boy? With the power this body possesses, as well as my own, you won't last a minute with me. Your death will cement my return, and I will be complete again."

Dante scoffed. "All this just for a rematch? Can't you just let it go? I'd hate to have you put on such a show, only to have you get your ass handed to you again."

Mundus frowned. "Son of Sparda, this is the end of you. Prepare to meet your father and your mother!" He held out his hand, a large, ornate sword appearing in it. The sword had a faint black flame around the blade, shrouding it in a demonic aura. Its aura surrounded Mundus, and he stood ready. "The first strike is yours, Son of Sparda. Make it a good one. Don't disappoint me."

Dante smirked again, sheathing Rebellion and keeping Sparda tight in his fist. The blade gave off its own aura, Dante's demonic presence powering it and giving it strength. "Have it your way, pal. I've only gotten stronger over the years. You're gonna regret this." He walked forward, holding Sparda in front of him.

Rayven drew her sword when Hiro charged Sigma. She began to put her demonic energy into her sword and throughout her body. Hiro was standing ready and waiting for the attack as she ran up behind Sigma. She waited behind him, Hiro in the front and herself in the back. She really had no idea what to expect from this demon. She carefully watched him and watched Hiro to see what he would do next.

Sigma began to chuckle. "Silly girl, did you think I'd let you interfere with our fight?" he said in his specter like tone. "I will not allow you to interfere!" He raised one arm, several colorless figures beginning to form. They took the shape of the Captains that Hiro had slain earlier. "Play with these dolls like a good little girl." This enraged Hiro, and he made a fairly wide slash which Sigma blocked with the blade of his scythe. The two struggled for a moment.

Hiro leaped backward, Sigma following, flying across the ground. Hiro quickly covered his swords in flames, and made a complex maneuver, spinning them and slashing rapidly. Sigma didn't have enough time to escape, and was engulfed in flames. Hiro rolled and quickly turned. It seemed like he had succeeded. Sigma fell to the ground as he continued to burn. He lay on the ground, writhing in agony. "That was very clever, Hiro. Did you want to see what I truly look like?" the cold voice asked.

Sigma cast off his cloak, revealing his true form. Sigma stood seven feet tall, his skin a light brown with bony spikes jutting from his shoulders and arms. His eyes were a fiery red, and on his eyes were blue painted marks. His head was bald, and in the center of his forehead rested his own insignia. He picked up his scythe and spun it skillfully. "Now I will show you what I'm truly capable of!"

"Shit, you're a lot uglier than I had pictured," Hiro said smoothly, taking his usual ready stance and making a quick glance towards Rayven.

"What the hell?" Rayven asked as she backed up with her sword raised. The figures of the Captains were clouded and unable to make out. "Are these the Captains of Sigma?" The clouded enemies began to take forms of humans and beasts. She wasn't sure which demon was which. "Dammit. Guess I'll have to try and see what they can do against me." The figures began to gather around Rayven. She smiled to herself as her blade started to glow red. She went into a offensive position. They all charged her and she jumped and spun in the air above them. Her sword swung around in different directions, causing wind blades to cut into them. She did a back flip in mid-air and landed out of the circle.

The Demon Captains turned to where she landed and began to charge her again. "Damn things," she said quietly. She charged the first one closest to her, sending her sword into the demon and slashing down. Blood spurted out of the demon as it grabbed for her. It caught her neck in its grasp. She was lifted into the air as the demon's grip began to strengthen on her neck. She lifted her sword up next to the demon's shoulder and cut the arm off. The arm disappeared and she took a few steps back from the armless demon. Blood dripped from where its arm had been, and it growled menacingly. Rayven rubbed her neck as bruises began to appear upon her skin.

Her sword began to flash with red electricity and her eyes went completely red. The sword began to pulsate with her energy flowing through it. She flipped the sword around to where the blade was running up her arm. She took a new stance against the demons. The demons closed in on her, and she sliced upwards toward the demons and spun into them. As she did, her blade went into the demons that she spun and circled around. Most of the demons missed her as she danced through them. Blood began to fly into the air with each strike she delivered.

Her energy began to sweep through the air with each spin and then she suddenly stopped, her sword stopping horizontally in front of her, the hilt sitting against her left palm. The blood of the demons dripped off of the blade. She slashed her blade down to the ground. The cuts she had put across the bodies of the demons went deeper and began to glow red and cut them to pieces. A few demons remained around her. She whipped the blade around and threw the blood off of the weapon. She looked at her clothes and saw the blood that covered her. She checked herself for any injuries and noticed that she had a few deep cuts here and there, but they were already healing up.

She looked at the two remaining demons. They looked like the Brothers. These last two demons began to materialize more and she could tell the colors of the demons. One was black and the other was white. They both had four eyes, three mouths, ten horns coming from their heads, and claws jutting from their hands. They looked like a horse and dog mixed together. "The Son of Sparda killed me," the black one said. "The Child of the East killed me," the white one said.

"Well, looks like I'm in trouble with these two," she said sarcastically. The black one walked toward her. "You will perish, young one. You do not have enough experience." The white one just stood quietly glaring at her.

The black one slashed out at Rayven as she jumped up his body from arm to arm and grabbed hold of one the demon's horns. She swung her sword into two of his eyes, releasing the same mixture from them that Dante had. She then slid down his right side and sliced off two of his arms. She did the same thing to the left side, giggling to herself dementedly. The demon spun before she got to his face again and he swatted her off with a kick from his back legs. The kick landed in her stomach, claws digging into her and ripping her skin. She was pinned under one of the beast's feet and the claws were now digging into her shoulders. "Get off!" she screamed at the demon as blood began to pour from her shoulders. Red energy began to swim through the air around them and she released her energy, causing the demon to be taken back. She grabbed the leg that had been on her, twisting it and ripping it away from the rest of the body. Green blood began to stream from the leg. She slowly stood up, energy pulsating around her. Her trench coat sleeves were torn off and bloody as she stood in front of the demon. "Is that all you got?" she asked quietly. The demon backed up some. She ran forward, leaping into the air. She landed, plunging her blade into the demon's neck, making a horizontal arc with her sword. She leaped off, letting the body fall. She watched as it twitched, dying slowly. She walked over to the demon and looked at it, mocking pity in her eyes. Her blades flashed, severing the doomed Captain's head. She looked to the next demon, her eyes narrowing. "Next!" she called him. He walked in front of her, flexing his claws slowly. She readied herself for the next fight.

Sigma's cold eyes changed suddenly as their blades locked again. "What?......My Master's energy...it's...it's gone!" Hiro noticed the change as well. But something was wrong. This disappearance was different. On top of that, a truly different and powerful aura had appeared in the same place that Diabolus had disappeared.

"I don't believe it! He double crossed us? That bastard! He will pay!" Sigma bellowed. Just then, the sound of steel clashing could be heard as Hiro struck with his second long sword. He stood there surprised, his attack hadn't even put scratch in Sigma's armor.

Sigma chuckled. "My armor is made from demon steel, amongst other things. Your pathetic little long swords are made of regular human metals. You will never harm me in that way!"

It was Hiro's turn to chuckle now. My sword is made of demon steel as well, but mine has very pure elements in it." Hiro leaped back, and sheathed one sword. He took the other and placed his hand on the flat of the blade. "Mine is also made with orichalcon, and the sharpest diamonds ever found in either world." Sigma stared. "Orichalcon?"

Hiro smirked. "Just watch...." He ran his hand down the length of the blade, charging it with multi-colored energy. When his hand had reached the end of the blade, the blade lit up and changed into a floating white orb.

"Hmm? That's it?" Sigma asked, unimpressed. The orb flashed once and split into two. The orbs wrapped them selves around Hiro's legs, and became a pair of golden-colored boots. They had a large spike at the end where the toes would have been, and several smaller spikes along the front of the boot. "Eh? That's interesting, but not very helpful," Hiro said as he faded and reappeared in front of Sigma. He threw a punch, which Sigma blocked with the blunt of his scythe's blade. "Got you!" Hiro said as he quickly turned his body and delivered a swift roundhouse kick, the spike at the toes piercing through Sigma's armor, striking him in the gut. His expression quickly turned to a pained one as the spike struck. Hiro used a small portion of his energy to shove Sigma across the room. Sigma slammed against the wall, leaving a huge crack in the once perfect marble. "Guh...Very nice, Hiro." His face changed from surprise to pain to an evil smirk. He stood, ready now for Hiro's tricks.

Rayven's head jerked up as she realized that Diabolus was dead. A spike suddenly flew at her while she was distracted. She barely dodged it, watching as it exploded on impact with the adjacent wall, purple smoke beginning to bellow out of it and around her. "Damn!" Rayven shouted as she jumped through the smoke and out of it, but it was too late. "Paralysis smoke, this is bad...Hiro..." she whispered as her body went stiff and numb. Her legs collapsed under her and her arms weakened. Her sword fell to the ground before her body hit shortly after. Her eyes flashed to her opponent, watching him come closer and closer to her. "This trick actually worked on you, young one. Now it's time for you to die slowly." he whispered, his voice void of any emotion. He picked her up by her hair and threw her into a wall, ramming her. Her eyes went wide with fear and pain, but she couldn't make a sound. "You cannot talk or scream. This is wonderful. I get to see you die! To watch you suffer," he whispered. He picked her up again and threw her into another wall. He grabbed her, then threw her into the air above him and landed her on one of his horns. It slid through her stomach as she slid down the horn. The beast threw her off of it and she landed in the middle room. Her stomach was bleeding profusely and she didn't think her demonic powers were being subdued by the toxins in her body. The beast began to move toward her again. _Hiro, I'm sorry._ She knew this would be the end if no one helped her.

Loud clangs of metal sounded in Mundus's chamber, and the two combatants separated. Dante grinned. "You're still so slow...how do you think this will end any differently than last time?" He launched forward, swinging Sparda rapidly. Mundus was truly faster this time, and dodged every swing of Sparda's blade. He countered, slipping his sword through Dante's defenses, landing a blow on Dante's left arm. Dante let out a small grunt of pain while Mundus laughed.

"You're still an arrogant child. Let that small taste remind you of your place in this battle. I will end this soon enough, but for now I'll let you suffer slowly, allow you to bask in my glorious return, and give you the honor of dying at my hands." He swung the sword again, only to have it blocked by Sparda. Dante's eyes looked angrily at him from behind Sparda's blade. "Just keep fighting. I'm sick of listening to you talk." He lunged forward, thrusting with Sparda.

Mundus deflected the attack, coming back with two diagonal slashes aimed at Dante's chest. Dante rolled backward, driving Sparda into the ground and pulling Ebony and Ivory. He began firing rapidly at the Demon Lord, the shots bouncing off of the armor that covered his body. Dante cursed silently, holstering the guns and grabbing Sparda again. "So it's a straight fight to the death using blades, huh? Interesting."

Mundus peered at him from a short distance away. "That's not all, Son of Sparda. Look upon my power and tremble!" He thrust his right hand into the air, a black flame appearing and growing, burning hot. He threw the flame to the ground, and it seemed to explode outward, creating a shockwave within the chamber. Dante staggered backward, using Sparda to steady himself.

Mundus raised both hands, the black aura surrounding them. Small portals appeared in the room, lesser demons pouring into the chamber from them. "To ensure that your friends don't feel the need to interfere, I'll give them some friends to keep them company." He cackled maniacally. The demons surged toward Trish and Lady, and Dante launched at Mundus again, the two locking blades once more.

Mundus grimaced at Dante's efforts. "Why do you persist in this way, Son of Sparda? The Syndrome has infected the entire world. This world that you love doesn't love you. It despises your kind, and it's gone now. Why do you try so hard to save what is lost?"

Dante grinned through a determined look. "Guess I just like making things hard for everyone else. Especially an asshole like you." He pushed, sending the two apart. He grinned, looking back quickly to see Lady and Trish giggling as they slaughtered Mundus's cronies. He heard a quick sound, and turned to see Mundus behind him with his sword held high.

"Don't you ever turn your back on me, boy!" Mundus bellowed, bringing the sword down hard. Dante barely evaded the attack, looking as the ground caved where the sword hit. "Son of Sparda, this has gone on long enough. Time for you to die!" A pained sensation formed itself in Dante's stomach and he found himself flying backward through the air. Mundus's laugh echoed in his ears. He had been hit with another Dark Wave attack, put into the form of a punch. He hit the wall hard, and slumped to the ground.

He looked up, seeing Mundus walking toward him at a quick pace, sword at his hip. He leaned down, picking Dante up by his collar. "This is the best that the legendary Son of Sparda has to offer me? This is no battle. This is a slaughter." He raised his fist again, the familiar dark flame surrounding it. A solid strike sent Dante's vision reeling again. He spat a bit of blood out of his mouth, still smirking. "And this is all that the Demon Emperor Mundus has to offer the legendary Son of Sparda? A few punches? Slippin' in your old age, aren't ya, pops?"

Mundus bellowed, throwing Dante back into the center of the chamber. Dante stood, swaying for a moment before regaining his composure. He raised Sparda, a scheme in his mind. He readied himself for the fight to continue. Things hadn't even gotten started yet. There would be much more to this fight, and Dante had to make sure he knew a weakness, or he would die where he stood. Diabolus's body had only one weakness, and Dante was sure it was the sword in his hands.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	25. The End of Everything

Sigma watched as one of his Captains mortally wounded Rayven. Hiro turned to see the scene. A tear escaped from him. "No...."

Sigma let out a maniacal laugh. "Well done, my servant." To Hiro, the entire world disappeared, there was nothing but him and a black void. He felt something that hadn't surfaced since his family had been slain. Anger, pure, untapped anger filled him. His eyes narrowed and became slits, his demonic aura expanding. The ground began to shake. Sigma looked upon his opponent with intrigue. "Thats the ticket," he said with an evil smile.

"No, not again. Sigma is to blame for everything. He killed my clan, my father. Even my little sister who was completely helpless. He mocked my ancestry. He hurt my family, and now he's going to take away the one person I have left to love. No, there is still time to fix this!" Hiro yelled. His aura expanded, the ground beneath him cracked, and the floor trembled.

"Incredible. He has long since surpassed his father," Sigma whispered to himself. Hiro turned and practically flew toward the two Captains. His aura went from a bright yellow to a multicolor, his ancestry showing, the power of his clan slowly taking over. He knelt by Rayven and took out special fruit, squashing it so that the juices entered her mouth. He turned, a blue glow manifesting itself as armor slowly covering his body. He drew his sword on his back and again formed it into a white orb, this time diverging it onto his arms. They reformed, creating a four-pronged claw on each arm. He leaped forward and slaughtered the smaller of the demons, hacking it into four pieces. This happened so quickly that the devil died without feeling pain. He then turned and impaled the other Captain through the eyes. He ran the blades down its body, leaving large, bloody claw marks down the entire front side of the body. The body slumped slowly to the floor.

He turned to Sigma, his entire body now encased in armor save for the head, which showed a stare that could kill. His aura surrounded him, a pulsing torrent of raw power. "Now I'm going to kill you, in the name of all those you have killed and infected!"

The paralysis smoke was still affecting Rayven, but it was beginning to fade. She slowly turned her head to see Hiro's anger explode. He had killed the other demons she was fighting against without even breaking a sweat. Her wounds slowly started to stop bleeding as badly. She slowly sat up and leaned against a wall. She hurt all over but it was starting to fade. She sat and waited as the last fight began to commence. "Thank you, Hiro. Be careful, please," she said quietly, almost in a whisper.

Mundus looked at Dante's sword, interest showing in his eyes. "I see you're still using your traitor of a father's sword. Don't think you'll be able to best me with such a ludicrous weapon, boy. The power that sword holds in unimaginable. There's no way to tap into it. Just give up and die."

Dante looked at the sword. "Dunno. My luck may be pretty shitty most of the time, but somehow, my old man comes through for me sometimes. Thanks for the warnin' though, pops. Now are we gonna fight, or just stand around and talk? I came here for blood. Now let's have some."

"Don't be so hasty to rush to your own death, child. Be careful what you ask for." Mundus disappeared, appearing behind Dante. "You just might get it." A fountain of blood filled the air as Mundus's sword exploded out of Dante's chest. Blood dribbled out of the corner of his mouth as the blade was yanked free, and he staggered and fell to the floor. He lay there, eyes open in shock.

"I told you that playtime was over, boy. Perhaps you should have listened. Now die, Son of Sparda. Go meet your mother, father, and brother. And tell them that you have failed to prove your worth. Let them know that you failed to protect the world that they loved so much. Now die in your despair."

Mundus raised the blade over his head to deal the final blow, bringing it down with all of his might. A bright red flash went off in the chamber, the sword stopping, as if something was holding it back. A red aura radiated off of Dante, the wound from the sword completely gone. "You leave my family out of this." The ground cracked underneath his feet as he stood. He swung Sparda, leaving a sizable cut on Mundus's face. The Demon Emperor held his bloody cheek in shock.

"You will pay for the crimes you have committed against me, my family, and my friends. You will pay for all of the suffering you have caused. This is the end of everything, Mundus! Prepare to enter a world of suffering and pain. Prepare for your destruction." Dante's demonic aura was staggering. Mundus back away, the raw power of it almost creating a burning sensation on his flesh.

"How? How have you become this strong?" Mundus's eyes looked to Sparda, the blade itself glowing. His eyes became wide. "No...it can't be! The sword has given him power!"

Dante began walking forward, the ground crumbling underneath his feet. "I'll take back my world from you, as well as the souls of the people in it." He swung the sword, narrowly missing Mundus's neck. He spun, bringing the blade down vertically. Mundus blocked the blow, backing away and narrowly avoiding the next attack, which was Sparda's blade extending and aiming for his chest.

Dante looked at the Demon Emperor. "What's the matter, devil? Do I frighten you?" He unleashed a flurry of strikes, all of which Mundus was barely able to block. The two parted again, both breathing heavily. The power rush was just what Dante had needed to gain the upper hand. He stood ready now, ready to destroy the evil that barred his path.

Sigma scowled and looked upward toward the top of the tower where Mundus and Dante were battling. "This power... It's from that traitor two thousand years ago! No... It can't be!"

Hiro used this moment of distraction to charge straight ahead at Sigma. He let out the war cry of his clan as he practically flew across the ground, his aura growing larger and more intense by the second. Sigma's eyes grew wide with fear. "This can't be! I've been analyzing this man for fifteen years! He's never shown this kind of power before!"

Hiro thrust his right claw through Sigma's chest, letting out another cry. Blood began running over Sigma's lips, the internal damage apparent. Hiro kicked him, and sent him flying upward. He created several after images in the air and they flew past, slashing Sigma one at a time. After the copies faded, Hiro appeared next to his prey. He sank both sets of claws deep into Sigma's flesh, holding him in place. He used his energy to create a stepping stone, holding Sigma in front of him. The two fell rapidly, Sigma's face soon meeting the marble floor, leaving a crater. Hiro leaped away from the damaged body, and created a large ball of his own energy in the palm of his hand. He jumped and cast his arm outward, the energy scorching the area in which Sigma laid.

"Is that all you've got?" Sigma asked weakly. Hiro looked at his now-weakened foe. "You want more, eh?" Hiro asked, a smirk over his face. He leaped into the air and created a large black ball of lightning. "This is the end, Sigma. The power of my clan, their ultimate technique, it will destroy you! Abysmal Sphere!" He thrust his arm downward and the lightning became a black vortex that sucked everything up within a certain range. It covered the entire portion of Sigma's lower body and his entire left arm. When it faded, most of Sigma's body was gone. He laid almost still, bleeding and taking shallow breaths.

A moment passed and Sigma went silent. Hiro turned and walked toward Rayven, his aura dissipating and returning to normal. An inhuman howl sounded in the chamber. "Don't...turn your back on me, fool. Now die!" Sigma got on his remaining arm and opened his mouth, a pitch black spike of energy escaping his maw and heading straight for Hiro.

"Hiro!" Rayven saw the black lightning blast coming behind him. She pushed off of the wall and ran straight into Hiro, knocking him to the ground. She sat on top of him and looked straight into the blast. _I could use this one last technique. I'm still bleeding enough, too._ She began to make a few hand signs and made a triangle in front of her with her hands. A red shield that covered both of them appeared. Her hands began to drip with blood as the shield took the impact from the blast. She stared forward, trying not to break her concentration. The blast continued and her shield began to course with electricity and turn black. Suddenly, she stood up and black energy began to form in her hands. Electricity began to bounce from hand to hand,crackling loudly. Sigma stared at her in amazement, unable to fathom that she had caught the blast. Blood still dripped from her hands from using her technique, but all of her other wounds had healed. "Sigma...eat this!" she yelled as she pointed her hands at him and blasted the same attack back at him. The energy she used blasted her backward from the power. She had never had felt anything like it before. The blast hit Sigma directly. Rayven stood and waited for the dust to settle to see what had become of Sigma.

Dante walked forward, purpose in every step. Mundus stood opposite him, visibly on guard. "How can this be? A mere half-breed hindering the Lord of Hell? I won't let this happen!" He raised his sword above his head, uttering a string of phrases in an unintelligible language. The ethereal flame surrounding the sword deepened and grew, Mundus's aura growing with it. He bared his teeth, launching forward with a growl, swinging madly with the flaming blade.

Dante looked impassively at his assailant, blocking each strike easily with Sparda. He stopped Mundus's last strike completely, suspending the blade in the air. He smirked. "Don't you get it, asshole? You can't win. This half-breed is the end of you. The end of everything for you. Give up and die." He pushed, sending Mundus off guard, appearing next to him and slashing, wounding Mundus's sword arm deeply.

Mundus howled in a mixture of pain and rage. The sword fell from his hands, clattering to the floor, the aura around it fading. "Playtime's over. It's time to end this once and for all." Dante moved quickly, grabbing the sword from the floor, his own aura flooding into it and creating a bright red flame around the blade. Electricity crackled around the Devil Hunter's body now. Mundus looked on in terror as the Devil Hunter stepped back.

"Go on, boy! Kill me! All this talk and no action? Slay me!" Mundus said, looking at the white-haired man. Dante looked at the fallen Emperor, noticing that he was clutching his arm. "Be careful what you ask for, shithead. You might get it." Dante appeared behind Mundus again, the swords in his hands flashing in the light as he proceeded to inflict a series of wounds on Mundus's body. Mundus cried out in pain and slumped to his knees, the blood from his wounds running onto the floor and pooling there. His chestplate crumbled, and the pieces fell to the floor. "Son of Sparda, this will never be over...you will never truly kill me..."

Dante looked on at the pathetic excuse in front of him. "I'll kill you when I tire of watching you suffer." Dante's voice sounded dissimilar from his own, his demonic side echoing in it as his anger and conviction rose. Another cut formed itself across Mundus's cheek and he cried out in agony, clutching at it with his other arm.

Hiro got to his feet quickly, sensing a small shred of life force left in the chamber. "You are all fools.. Once both my master and I die, you shall all know true terror," Sigma said slowly through gasps of breath.

Hiro walked forward and leaned down so he could look Sigma in the face. Sigma let out a hoarse, pathetic laugh. Hiro stabbed him one more time in the chest to make sure the job was done. Sigma slumped to the floor completely, his blood draining rapidly from his body. "My master and I... were prepared in case you two defeated us... I will be reborn as an even greater terror than before!" he wheezed. His head fell limply to the floor, and Sigma was no more.

Hiro stood and his claws and boots became glowing fragments which reformed into a white orb, which flew and rested in his palm. The orb reshaped, turning back into his beloved weapon. He turned and walked toward Rayven. He passed her and leaned against the wall next to her. He slowly slid down the wall until he was sitting against it. He drew in a long breath and let it out slowly. "It's finally over," he said as he closed his eyes. A single tear escaped from his left eye, rolling slowly down his cheek and onto the floor. "That ending was almost anti-climactic, wasn't it?" he asked, waiting for a moment. Silence settled into the mostly destroyed chamber. He finally got up again and knelt in front of Rayven. "I have a feeling my clan can finally rest in peace now." He hugged her tightly.

Rayven wrapped her arms around Hiro's neck and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm glad," she said, looking around at the room they had destroyed. Then she began to think about Dante and how he was doing. She began to listen for Dante fighting, seeing as she hadn't really heard anything for a while. "Hiro, do you think Dante is okay?" she asked softly.

Hiro let go of her and turned to look upward. He scoffed. "If it's Dante we're talking about, then there's not too much to worry about. Let's go nonetheless," he said confidently. He began to walk at a brisk pace for a few steps, then stopped. He turned. "Shall we, my dear?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Rayven walked toward Hiro and took his hand. "Let's go," she said as she smiled at him. They held hands tightly and began to walk. Rayven looked back at the destroyed room, but continued walking. They left the room promptly, entering the lift that had arrived outside.

Dante looked at the Devil Emperor as he slumped in front of him. It seemed a pity to kill him in such a way, with him so helpless and pathetic. He looked down at the sword in his left hand, and tossed it to Mundus, the sword landing on the floor in front of him with a clang. "Pick it up," Dante said. "Make this interesting. I want to you to die fighting. I want you to make this fun for both of us."

Mundus looked up from the ground, an evil grin crossing his face. "Son of Sparda, this is a great folly. You'll regret the moment you became so arrogant!" A massive aura surrounded Mundus as he picked up his sword, and his wounds healed completely. He stood before Dante, lightning crackling where their auras met. The two were now on equal footing in power, and this would decide who was truly better. They both raised their swords and lunged.

Dante deflected Mundus's first strike adeptly, sending his blade to the side and coming in with a diagonal slash of his own. Mundus pivoted quickly, sending Sparda away from him. Dante grinned. "Not bad, pops. This is what I was waitin' for. It got old just trading punches with you. This is more like it." He unleashed another flurry of slashes, aiming them at Mundus's exposed chest. Mundus blocked them all, once again locking blades with the Devil Hunter.

Their blades rattled as both combatants tried to gain the upper hand in the struggle. Lightning surged between them, crackling loudly. Mundus gritted his pointed teeth, putting as much effort as he could into pushing Dante away and scoring another hit. Dante fought back, smirking as he put his best effort forward as well. The two finally separated, trading slashes that just bounced off of the other's blade as they hit. They ceased fire for a moment, panting heavily.

"Didn't think you could hold out this long, pops. Maybe I misjudged you. But I'm sure this will be over soon. You can't go on like this forever."

Mundus laughed. "Don't think you can outlast me, boy. Mind yourself. You're more arrogant than your father."

Dante laughed, surging forward with blindingly fast speed, catching Mundus off his guard, pounding away at him with Sparda. Each strike against the Demon Emperor's sword sent him back a few inches, and Dante knew what he had to do. He saw a faint glow on Mundus's chest, a small ball of black energy. He smirked. That was what tethered Mundus's spirit to the body and held the spirit itself together. Breaking that bond would destroy both Diabolus and Mundus for good. He just needed to find an opening now.

Hiro was running almost full speed down the long hallway that connected the chamber to the outside lift. He could feel Mundus's power restored. "What the hell? That can't be good," he said, coming to a stop as he saw Dante and Mundus facing off in the center of the chamber. He didn't know what Mundus was supposed to look like, but he knew the Demon Emperor's aura. He watched to see how the battle would end.

Dante continued pounding away at Mundus's defenses, driving the Demon Emperor back. Mundus gritted his teeth in frustration, fighting back when he could with wild swings and slashes that Dante easily evaded or blocked.

Mundus pointed his palm at Dante, firing another Dark Wave attack at his enemy. Dante flew backward, hitting the wall again, his breath leaving him for a moment. Mundus appeared in front of him, rage painting his face. "Die, you annoying worm!" Mundus thrust his sword with all his force, driving it through Dante's stomach and pinning him to the wall. Blood dribbled out of the side of Dante's mouth as the pain seeped into his mind. He clutched feebly at the blade, not able to move it.

Mundus let out a relieved sigh, relaxing his muscles. "You're done, boy. Nothing can save you now, not even your father's sword." Not a moment after Mundus had said those words, a faint glow began to manifest itself under Dante's vest and shirt. His mother's amulet shone brightly under his clothes, and an even more prominent aura surrounded him. He reached to his stomach, pulling the sword from his gut and standing awkwardly. He smirked, wiping the blood from his mouth. "I guess my mom and dad want me to win this time. Sucks for you, huh?"

Mundus gritted his teeth. "This can't be happening! You should be finished! Dead! Why do you still exist?" He made to punch at Dante with another Dark Wave and Dante quickly swung Mundus's sword, severing his right hand. Blood poured from the wound, running to the floor in a grotesque puddle. Mundus roared in agony, clutching the bloody stump.

Dante took the opportunity and paid Mundus back for his own pain, ramming Diabolus's sword through his gut, a spray of blood jetting from Mundus's back. Mundus dropped to his knees in front of Dante, looking up at him pathetically. Dante shook his head. "You realize it now, don't you? You never had a chance." With those final words, Dante drove Sparda's blade through Mundus's chest, severing the dark energy that kept Diabolus's body and spirit alive, as well as Mundus's attached soul. An ear-splitting scream sounded in the chamber as Mundus's soul and Diabolus burned away, leaving nothing behind.

Dante laughed weakly, clutching his stomach and finding the wall, slumping against it to a sitting position. He looked at Hiro, grinning pathetically. "Yo. When did you get here? Did you see me kick his ass?"

Rayven ran in behind Hiro after seeing the end of the bloody battle. She saw that Dante was bleeding badly from the wound in his stomach. She looked down at where her own wounds should be and saw nothing but holes in her clothes. She realized her clothes were rather bloody and the sleeves of her trench coat were ripped to shreds. She slowly walked over to Dante to check on him. "Dante, do you need any help? You look terrible."

Dante looked over at Rayven, still grinning. "Me? I'm fine, babe. Nothin' but a scratch. You have any idea how many times I've been shot, stabbed, and impaled? I feel great!" He laughed softly to himself, closing his eyes for a moment. He needed to rest for a moment before he used Sparda's power to heal himself. Even with his demon blood, it wouldn't knit fast enough without Sparda's added help.

He focused his energy into the blade, causing it to glow again. A stream of energy surged from the blade to his stomach, causing him to stiffen slightly as his wound closed. The energy faded, and there was just a hole in his vest and shirt. He looked down at it, his eyes betraying disappointment. "Dammit! Now this outfit's ruined. Guess I'll have to change my look again. I'm thinkin' wild west, maybe." He laughed, thinking of himself in spurs and boots.

Energy began gathering in the center of the chamber, a portal appearing. Dante looked at it briefly, his grin turning to a full-blown smile. He looked at Hiro, Rayven, Trish, and Lady, the latter two having silently joined the group a moment before, having made sure the last of the fallen demons that Mundus had summoned were dead. "You guys ready to head back to the shop and see what's become of the world?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Hiro smirked at Dante's comment about changing his look. There was a sudden shaking that took over the tower. Hiro dropped to one knee and cast his senses to the base of the tower. He could sense it collapsing, the foundation crumbling rapidly. "The tower is collapsing! Through the portal, quickly!" Hiro began to move toward the portal. Everyone else joined them, and they disappeared, traveling through the portal's energy.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	26. A Return to Normalcy

Dante flew through the portal, wind rushing past him. He found himself flying through nothingness in complete darkness. There was a strange floating sensation that he couldn't place. A bright light appeared and they all stepped out back in the human realm.

Dante looked around, catching his breath for a moment before speaking. "That was a hell of ride, huh?" He looked to see where they were, and saw the shop just in front of them. He smirked, looking at the others. "You guys wanna check on Anshin? We must have been gone a while."

Anshin didn't wait for them to come see her. She came out of the shop folded up beneath a coat with a blanket over the hat on her head. She had her head down as her little form stood rigid on the door of the shop. Her skin had changed moderately over the time they were gone. Her skirt was pulled down farther, with the blanket she had abducted wrapped tightly around her legs. Her little ankles were barely showing but they were covered with goosebumps all the same. The horns on her head also protruded more, making the cat hat stand up a bit.

They had been gone for quite a while, but the close portal had cautioned the Capricorn into hiding in the shop for a moment. When she saw Dante, she slowly approached, her boots clonking noisily on the ground. Off the small entrance, she slowly crept towards Dante, her eyes locked with his. She wasn't paying attention to the others, just him. She walked all the way to him in a slow, cautious state before looking up at him with sad, almost tearful eyes. Lifting her arms, the towel fell away, revealing her little child self, her human looking self, as she nearly cried to be held. Her arms were extended up with her teeth gently on her bottom lip, nipping it in pain. She sniffed a little just wanting to be around someone.

She had felt completely petrified when she had emerged from the shop. At first, she didn't recognize Dante due to his new smell from the other world, and his new feel from it, but as she watched him and approached, the blanket she had been laying on clung to her little form. She recognized who he was, her eyes lighting up only slightly, still retaining their sadness. Tottering forward, she glided along cautiously wondering if it was a tricky demon. It wasn't until she reached him that she chose to relax, accepting that it was him. She felt extreme loneliness from her time away from people, protecting the shop from countless demons. She just wanted someone to hold her and care for her. She didn't say a word, as none were necessary. She never had made a more pitiful face.

Dante looked down to see the little girl at his feet. He reached down, picking her up and holding her as if she were his own daughter. He looked at the others, jerking his head toward the shop. "Let's head in," he said softly. He turned, heading into the shop with Anshin in his arms.

He stepped through the heavy wooden doors, looking around. Everything was just as he left it, save for a few missing weapons which rested on his person at the moment. He sat down in his chair at his desk, resting Anshin on his knee. He looked at her, hearing the door open as everyone filtered into the room. "You did a very good job watching the shop for me while I was gone. Thank you for that." He didn't usually play the nice guy, but the child was fragile, and he had a very small soft spot for kids.

He didn't realize he had become so attached to the small girl, not wanting to let her go. But he knew that the shop was no place for a child to live. She needed a more substantial home, with real parents who could care for her and be there when she needed them. Someone to love her completely and provide for her when she needed it.

He thought a moment, a wry grin crossing his face. He looked at Rayven and Hiro, a scheme forming in his head. Hiro had more than once hinted to him that he had wanted a daughter when they had gone out drinking during the down time between jobs. He nodded. "Oi, Hiro. Come here for a sec."

Hiro smiled very widely as he walked over to Dante. "I can read you like a book, my friend. I'd be more than happy to." He scanned the scene, seeing that it was full of faces, tired, but happy. Hiro had an idea. "Hey, we just won a great victory for the human race. We should celebrate properly. Let's go to my club. Drinks are on me. Oh, and I'd be more than happy to make you a sundae, Anshin." He smiled warmly. "It's only a block away. Shall we?"

Rayven walked slowly up to Hiro and Anshin, taking her place next to Hiro. She was still a mess and really didn't want to scare the little girl. She smiled warmly at Anshin, not really knowing what to say to her. She was new at the whole motherhood gig, but figured she would learn as she went. She was ecstatic about adopting Anshin, just nervous as to her own abilities as a parent.

"I want hot chocolate," Anshin squeaked as she struggled from Dante's grasp, going over to Rayven. She wrapped her arms around the woman's waist and looked at the men. She had just chosen her mother. She, although not quite sure what Dante was planning, was more than happy to get another mother figure in her life. They were few and far between, yet the last one she had was brutally murdered. She was going to be ten times more protective of Rayven than she was of Rose. That meant that Rayven was never going to be alone. She was going to have a little girl by her side no matter where she went and Hiro would never get her alone unless Anshin accepted it first. It wasn't like the child was naive, she was just unwilling to act informed. "Dante, don't let the cops dig in your back yard, no matter what they hear," She said as she smiled innocently, leaning her head more toward her new mother. Looking up at the woman, she changed the subject. "Can I have some hot chocolate?" she asked sweetly.

Dante was taken aback by the child's remark. "What did you put behind my shop? Never mind... I don't wanna know," he said, running a gloved hand down the front of his face. She had done her job, and he couldn't question her methods, having not set any ground rules for body disposal. He shook his head, looking at Hiro.

"A drink at the club sounds great, old friend. I'm gonna need one if the police are stopping by tonight." He cast Anshin a look, which she returned with a sweet, childish smile. He rolled his eyes, looking back to Hiro. "Are the usuals around? If so, we might be able to unwind a bit." He smirked as Hiro nodded.

He started walking in the direction of the club, the setting sun meeting his eyes as the others began to follow him. He had survived yet another trip to Hell. And there was still the matter of his pay, but that would come later. He just needed a night to relax, another night of normalcy.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


	27. Epilogue

Dante sat at his desk back at Devil May Cry, a slice of pizza in one hand, a phone in the other. The room was dim, and the ceiling fan circled lazily overhead, the sound of metal music blaring in the background. "Right, thanks. Bye." The phone landed back on the hook and he leaned back in his chair. A week had passed since the invasion of the Devil Kingdom and the defeat of the Demon Emperor. Everything had seemed to go back to normal, or as normal as it ever got for Dante. The EOD Syndrome had disappeared, and humans were none the wiser. Work had become somewhat scarce due to all of the normalcy. He sat in his new look, his same red coat with the sleeves pull up past his elbows, the black sleeves underneath resting just below them. His short, black gloves rested on his hands. A black shirt rested under the coat, three golden buckles fastening three black belts over it. Black leather pants rested on his legs, another belt holding them up. Boots with western designs rested on his feet.

He had received a letter from Rayven and Hiro a day or two earlier. They were happily living together in Japan with their new adoptive daughter. Anshin's small writing stood out on the letter, detailing her gratitude to him for giving her a home and a peaceful life. Hiro and Rayven also supplied their thanks for a small financial donation he had supplied for their wedding. Attached to the letter was a photo of the three on their wedding day, and Dante couldn't help but smirk when he looked at Hiro in his nice clothes.

Trish and Lady had also been scarce for a few days, off doing other things and leaving him to himself. They hadn't brought him any jobs, and he was beginning to run low on cash. He'd have to stop ordering pizza if this kept up. He shuddered at the thought. He finished the last slice quickly, his stomach full now. He looked up as the door to the shop opened, the two familiar women entering quickly and waltzing up to the desk. Trish was wearing her usual outfit, as was Lady. Dante gave them both a suspicious look out of the corner of his eye. "What do you two want? Or do you finally have some work for me?"

The two women looked at each other, giggling. They looked back at him. "I think we might have stumbled upon something of particular interest to you, Dante," Trish said slyly. Lady looked at him. "And with the money you'll get from the next jobs you do, you can finally pay me back for a certain motorcycle you wrecked a good while back." Dante gave her a surprised look, which she quickly saw through. He crossed his arms, looking at Trish. "What should be interesting to me?"

Trish's smile returned as she thought a moment. "There seems to be an organization... well, a cult."

Dante scoffed. "What do I care about religious fanatics?"

Trish returned the scoff. "Hardly just any fanatics, Dante. They're worshiping your father. They call themselves The Order of the Sword. Their High Priest, Sanctus, holds long ceremonies trying to resurrect the power of Sparda to use to fight for against those who would wish them ill will. They study demons, as well. They're research is very interesting from the tidbits I've been able to hear about."

Dante's eyebrow shot up and a wry grin spread across his face. "My old man's causing trouble for me again, huh? Looks like I'm goin' to church." He stood up, grabbing Rebellion from the rack where Sparda sat and headed out the door, holstering Ebony and Ivory as the door slammed shut.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims


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